


Beautiful Dying Flower

by Dlt111



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Angst, Based on a Tumblr Post, Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fem!Eren, Fluff and Angst, Forced Prostitution, Gangs, Love, Pining Levi, Prostitution, Rule 63, Sexual Abuse, Underage Prostitution, dual lives, ereri, fluff!, insecure Eren, riren - Freeform, someone give eren some fucking self-confidence, two lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-01-25 00:01:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1621778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dlt111/pseuds/Dlt111
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was a beautiful flower whom no one knew was silently dying on the inside. Always cheery and always bright, there was a dark side to Eren Jaeger that no one really knew about until one night her upperclassman and ex-thug Levi Zoe-Smith finds this broken smiling girl asleep in the alley behind his parents' restaurant dressed in a short dress unbecoming of the snow landing on her prone form. Can he become the man she needs and help her out of the pit she's been tossed in? Or will she rot before he even gets a foot into her heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When Two Worlds Collide

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed so please let me know if you find any problems, but I don't think you will. (I could be wrong)

“Ah…. So fucking cold out tonight! How in the hell do they expect me to find anyone like this?! I’m going to freeze to death one of these nights!” The high class young woman whined as she walked down the street, trying to keep warm in her knee-length, slit up the sides, form-fitting sleeveless red dress in the late autumn. “I just HAD to take time off to serve that detention last week… and now look at me… freezing while looking for a client.” A car rolled up beside the lady confidently swaying her hips as she subtly rubbed her arms.

“Hey sweetie~ Wanna take a ride tonight?” Strolling over to the rolled-down window and bending over seductively, the young woman with rich grass green eyes smirked in at her potential client. “Depends~ Are you sure you can handle my prices?” The amount of cleavage she pushed forward was suggesting to the man that he should take her up on her offer no matter the amount of money it cost him. The tent pitched in his pant spoke of how he’d MORE than happily oblige.

“Depends~ How good are you with those hips and lips?” The gross-looking man kept his eyes on the protruding chest and barely listened to the words that shot straight to his groin. “Good enough to be the best in town~!”

“How about you prove that… We’ve got seven hours before I have to get ready to meet my wife for breakfast. Think you can last that long? And how much would that cost me?” Reaching a hand in, the brunette with hair cascading around her well-painted face smirked and ran a hand slowly from his cheek to his mouth, neck, and down his chest and stomach to touch the man’s hidden, yet obvious, erection with feather-like touches.

“Depends on how kinky you are. If you’re really kinky…. A night like that could easily start reaching into the thousands,  but a straight vanilla night with just lots of sex and play would only run you around $300 tonight since I’m feeling extra ready for a man of your specific **measurements~!** ”

The man was panting now and his face contorted into one of pleasure. “Baby… I’ll get you $400 right now. Get in and let’s go!” She smirked and kissed him on the cheek before rounding the car and getting in.

“You made the right move dear~!” _And saved me from freezing to death!_

*****************************************

“Eren! Fuck, chick! Stay awake already!” a young man with a horse-like face told his rival, shaking her shoulder.

“Jean! STOP!” she protested, her grassy-green eyes fluttering open. “I’m up already! Just really sore since I didn’t get a good night’s sleep! If you mess with me today I’m calling Mikasa over to kick your sorry rear!”

A short blond boy approached and tugged on his friend’s cute uniform-covered arm. “Eren… sorry to bother you, but I need you to follow me to the office. One of the teachers isn’t happy with you…”

“What’d I do this time?!” she cried indignantly as she stood and followed her friend from the room, leaving her rival behind.

As they rounded another corner, the blond broke out in a grin. “Nothing! I just decided to spare you Jean since you weren’t looking too hot. Are you sure you’re not getting sick, Eren? You came in looking redder than normal and you weren’t at our normal meeting spot.”

“Ah, yeah, I’m fine. Like I told Jean, I had some trouble sleeping last night and then I overslept this morning. You know how I get red when I’m flustered!” the brunette with her hair in a half-bun, half-down hairstyle smiled at her friend, waving off his concern with a happy giggle to follow her smile.

“I still don’t get why you can’t tell us where you live. We could come and wake you up.” Armin slowly started, peeking at his long time companion from the side of those big baby blue eyes of his as they continued to wander the halls.

“Armin! I told you, my aunt is really squirrelly about people knowing where she lives! She’s terrified they’re going to unknowingly lead people to our house and she’s going to be haunted by the mobsters she ticked off. That’s why I have to keep walking around after school until I’m sure no one is following before going home. Don’t worry about it! Besides, I’m a grown woman and I can take care of myself just fine! So I oversleep sometimes… I always get here on time! I’m sorry you don’t like having to meet me at that stop sign, but I can’t help it! Now please don’t bring it up again. I just want another happy day with my friends!”

“Fine… Let’s go find Mikasa since class is getting ready to start.”

“Yay~! Time to find Mikasa!” Eren happily cheered. “I betcha I’ll find her first!” she taunted while sticking out her tongue at her long-time friend.

“Yeah right!” he barked back happily as the two passed a troublemaker who watched from the corner of sleety grey eyes.

********************

_There she is again… Smiling and laughing…. Running and running amok. God… I shouldn’t like a girl like her… But she’s so loud and crass… So kind and innocent… Eren Jaeger… Such an odd angel of a girl… Makes me sick that I think of her like that. She deserves more than my poetic musings… but I can’t stop admiring those green eyes and wonderful smiles._

Levi Zoe-Smith watched as his crush flew by him, making his stoic, irked face redden just the smallest amount, imperceptible to anyone who didn’t know him intimately. He just huffed and walked a bit faster over to his friends, ignoring the ginger amongst his friends as she clung onto his arm with a bright and buzzing. “Good morning Heichou!”

The other three follow suit with a round of the same greeting. “When will you all ever let me live without that title?” he grumped back.

“ ** _Never_** ,” came the consensus.

Huffing the male nods. “More proof that I should have left you shitty asses back in that place…” He shook his head and began walking to class, knowing they’d all follow. After all, they were his personal group of ex-gang members who served directly under him back in the days when he was less than admirable. They had an unbreakable bond now, one that could be broken by something as simple as some cruel words.

***************************

“Eren… Please…. Come with us to the karaoke bar already! We haven’t gone out at all in the past _three_ months! You can’t just keep blowing us off! You’re going to make me and Connie cry!” A taller brunette with a high ponytail pleaded with her adorable, but irritable friend, on her hands and knees as she clasped the defiant girl’s hand.

“Hey! I would not cry!” their buzz-cut friend protested, but it fell on deaf ears.

“I told you! My aunt wants me home as soon as possible today Sasha! She’s really worried about breaking a hip in this weather! Besides, I don’t even have any money with me today!” The girl was trying her best to break it to her friend that it wasn’t going to happen tonight, but the food-obsessed girl was having none of it.

“If you don’t come willingly, Eren Jaeger, I’m dragging you there on my own!” That’s when a taller girl stepped in, staring at the two, her black eyes assessing the danger to her sweet friend as she stood there.

“Is there a problem, Eren?” The cold voice was something that bothered both girls.

“M-Mikasa… they just…”

“We want her to relax and come hang out at the karaoke bar tonight! Like I already told you about!”

“Ah… Eren, you should go. You’ve done nothing but homework and taking care of your aunt. Surely one night won’t kill her!” the short blond said popping in again.

“Armin! Don’t take their side!”

“You should, Eren.”

“Not you, too, Mikasa!”

“It’s settled! You’re coming with us all, Eren!” The girl gasped and struggled some as her two friends gently pushed her towards the ravenous-looking woman-child that was their friend.

“You guys!!!”

“I think Eren should go home… Especially since something tells me her ‘aunt’ won’t be happy with her absence,” came a dull, uninterested female voice.

“A-an-ann-annnie!” Armin stuttered cutely as he looked at his crush as she walked by, blushing brightly.

“Armin,” she greeted with a nod of her head. The mysterious girl that no one knew well or understood shared a knowing look with the main attraction of the party.

Eren nodded, color draining from her face. “Check in is tonight, isn’t it?” she asked softly, receiving a nod. The girl who tried to help Eren walked on. Eren sighed and looked at her friends. “I REALLY can’t go tonight guys! You know Annie’s mother is my aunt’s nurse and whenever it’s check-in they need help sedating that crazy woman while we make sure everything’s okay.”

A collective groan flew around the congregation as they acknowledged that they had to let go of their plans of including their tanned angel walking the Earth. The only ones that seemed to want to protest were her two close friends, Mikasa and Armin. Annie grabbed Eren’s wrist and tugged, making her jolt forward and go with her.

**_“You miss another check in and I’ll never let you work in the rooms, you damn cunt!”_ **

The reminder rang through her ears as she rushed along with her companion, not happy at the last conversation she’d had with her boss, her _beloved_ pimp.

The two girls traveled in silence, making sure to shrug off anyone that bothered them from school before heading to their assigned whore house. The rundown Victorian style house was perfect for the brothel that they lived at. It was elegant, rustic, and hid all of the dirt, sex, and coat-hanger abortions that the brothel needed in order to operate in a veil of class and a gentleman’s club.

The two men at the door nodded to the girls as they entered the backdoor, a place only for the ‘working women’ to enter. The bodyguards there, Reiner and Bertholdt both followed them in and stood guard on the inside, those two being the last ones needed for the check in.

“Strip as you go in, you two. The boss is in a foul mood… He’s already beaten three girls.”

“Thank you, Reiner,” Eren replied back equally softly, paling more. The girls quickly took off their clothing and approached the next door, entering quietly only to see the man was absolutely livid.

The average height man, Nile Dok, was grinning maniacally as he stomped on a girl’s stomach. “This’ll teach that damn uterus of yours try to form a fucking fetus again, bitch! I won’t have it ruining my business! I’ve already got my two pregnant bitches to whore out! You’re not welcome! I’m going to fucking ruin this damn thing! I bet it wouldn’t even turn out pretty! Hah!”

Eren gasped and the attention was on her in an instant. Those violent off-black eyes bore into her and terrified her. “Oh? Is little Eren pregnant, too? Hmm…. I hate you with a burning passion, you _waste of space_ , but I cannot deny that at least your babies would be cute… What about it? Should I abort this baby and begin whoring you to myself only like I did to your little friends Mina and Hannah? Pull you from school saying you’re sick and will be homeschool from now on? Would you like that? Being fucked by only one man?”

“N-No sir! I’m not pregnant and I’d like to keep bring pleasure to as many men as possible. Besides, I wouldn’t be good enough to be the mother of your child. I’m not worthy of such a blessing.” She knew all the right words to say to appease the man because she had heard it all too often. The words festered inside of her even after she spoke them. The young whore felt absolutely none of the feelings she mentioned to the male and despised her time there with a burning passion. She wanted to get out and be free from this dangerous line of work and be the normal girl she was at school, but with the local vicious gang being on the other side of the brothel as their financial backers, she couldn’t very well break away without risking her life in the process. It was becoming a more and more appealing idea as she looked at the alternative as being on the streets each night and nearly freezing.

“Such a good worker…” He slapped her hard across the cheek and snarled viciously. “And damned smart for a whore! I’d probably make your dumb ass miscarry too many time because you piss me off with your very being!” He grabbed her upper thighs and yanked up, taking her off her feet, not caring that her head hit the old rickety wooden floor with a sick thud and bounced some. He held her up with one firm hand on her thigh and shoved his pants down before entering her dry and unhappily overused vagina. “Still pretty firm… too dry… and no irregularities that I have to toss you out for. Get the fuck outta here and stop stinking up my whore house. You’re in the Trost district tonight with Annie and Hitch so get a move on. I’m letting you have first dibs since I’m sick of your presence and you don’t bring back enough money as is.”

The groaning girl nodded even as her head pounded relentlessly and her hips were roughly tossed to the floor with no regard for what the girl needed. Reaching up, she was grateful she’d kept her bun in and let it cushion her fall a little, but yanked it out as she sat up. Scrambling away angrily, she looked at the men guarding the back door and sighed. “A hand please?” Bertholdt nodded and silently lumbered to her and picked her up, gently setting the angel on her feet. The football player smiled at her nervously and she nodded,  sighing before pushing off of the strong arms, wobbling as she made her way to the dresses and pulling hers on. She let her heels slip on, using the wall for support as her head swam.

As the gentle brunette put the classic make-up on, she sighed and shook some. “Is it safe to go out tonight…?” she asked herself. She pulled back and admired her quick work with a frown before changing her contacts. Sighing sadly, Eren looked at the ‘ugliness’ that was her two different toned eyes. One was a caribbean ocean green while the other was a wondrous tawny umber color similar to the beautiful gem amber. The amber colored eye had bothered Eren so much. “That man liked it so it’s disgusting!” she spit angrily before pushing two new colored contacts into her eyes to get the beautiful grass-green color back in both eyes. She sighed and nodded. “Better…”

She left the room and pushed past the two guards who both made sure she looked beautiful enough. “Eren… underwear,” the tallest said as he cautiously flipped the skirt of her dress some. “It’s too innocent….”  With a groan she turned and changed into the silky black lacy underwear she knew she had to wear. The male checked again with a small cough and nodded, letting her go.

It was a rough evening, the men in Trost not especially willing to spend money on the services she offered. She sighed as she found herself unhappily shivering as she sashayed quickly down the street seductively, flirting with the few men she passed who were alone or in groups of men only. Sadly the headache pounding behind her eyes made Eren want to throw up and her flirt wasn’t as strong as it normally was. She found herself soon trudging through a light snow fall and sighed. “Too bad… There’s no one out tonight… Gotta get to sleep somewhere…”

She slowly moved to the next alleyway and looked for somewhere to rest her head. She found a few cardboard boxes and decided they looked good enough to sleep under for the night. “What else is there to do? Maybe I’ll finally freeze to death…” The throbbing in her head from the fall was even worse and the young prostitute cried herself to sleep.

**********************

“Levi! Go take this trash out for me, okay? I need to finish putting away the bread we need to have rise overnight.”

“Fine shitty glasses…” the young ex-thug sighed, heading towards the trash bags waiting for them to expel from their restaurant. The bags were unusually heavy and annoying, but he knew he’d rather take them out instead of his adopted mother. “We both know you wouldn’t be able to handle these anyways! Weakling!”

“Don’t forget who controls your allowance and who sleeps with your father who can beat you to a pulp!”

“Ew! Shitty glasses, you’re too much!”

“Love you too, Levi!” The teen shrugged and shivered as he pushed the back door open to reveal the now heavier snowfall around the abandoned alleyway. He tossed the bags in the dumpster before looking at the boxes his neighbor had forgotten – or more likely was too lazy to – toss into the dumpster as well.

“This is how we get homeless drunks-“ he stopped mid-sentence as he picked up the first box and found an attractive woman lying there, panting with a face scrunched up in pain and discomfort while shaking and shivering uncontrollably, a bright red hue overheating the face. He knew this person, or at least he thought he did. “Eren?!” he called in shock. One eye rolled open ever so briefly and the man knew right then and there that this was his beautiful ray of sunshine that he looked forward to seeing day in and day out smiling and laughing while he basked in her glory silently.

“Hanji!” he called out in alarm as he picked her up and cradled her close. The green eye slowly slid closed once more, the owner completely oblivious to everything as a single thought permeated her mind. _Maybe that’s the harbinger? But I thought death was cold… Maybe I’m headed to Hell, where I belong….. Go ahead, Harbinger, I’m ready._


	2. Negotiations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of my readers! You're all so great!

_Warm… Too Warm… Where am I?_ Slowly those bright green eyes cranked open mechanically as the beholder tried to awaken. “Whe-?” the croaking voice stopped as coughs and expulsions of phlegm bubbled up. A harsh cough rang through the petite body under layers and layer of blankets.

“Shh… You’re safe now, my little titan! Don’t worry! Here, have a cool rag on your forehead. I’ll get you a drink of water too!” An unknown voice soothed the now frail girl in bed.

 _Wait…. Am I really supposed to have such a kind and nurturing voice taking care of me?_ She popped her eyes open even more and looked around in panic. The room swam some before leveling out and stabilizing. Eren looked up to see a woman with beautiful brunette hair and an inviting heart-shaped face coming towards her.

“Ah, here dear. Are you feeling any better?” It was the same nurturing voice that made the ill girl’s heart swell painfully. Taking the proffered water with shaking hands, Eren nodded to tell the woman she did… though she actually felt horrible and wished for the cold to come and numb it all away again.

“H-How did I end up here… Where is here?” her meek, school-girl voice carried gently.

“I’d love to know how a girl from the infamous Titan Trio underground ended up in the alley behind my restaurant sleeping like a dying homeless person, too! You’re at my home in Trost. Are you at least in your right district? Are you trying to hide from them?”

As kind and maternal as the woman sounded, her words and enthusiasm had Eren seizing up. _She knows… SHE KNOWS! What can I do?! How does she even know?! SHIT!_

“I-it doesn’t matter! I need to get going!” The way the highschooler moved to escape the comfortable bedding she lay upon concerned her hostess.   _If he finds out that someone other than a customer had me all night I’m definitely titan food!_

“Hey, little titan… calm down and relax. I won’t hurt you or steal your money… In fact… My son found you nearly dead in the alley behind the restaurant and we took you to our home where I bathed you and checked you over for wounds. You look like you received a beating before coming here… I won’t lie… if you want out of that life… We can help you. ” The woman who was once so seemingly kind to Eren now seemed like a personal torturer, pushing down on all of her desires that she knew would never be filled.

“You can’t help me! No one can! Just let me go and that’s all I need from you! If that man finds out- What time is it?! Is it time to report ye-“ The girl broke off into a bad coughing fit that had her caretaker pushing her back into the bed even more.

“Just rest! Please little titan… Rest… I can call someone for you, if being here makes you uncomfortable, but I’d like more to help you… Maybe I could call your parents and help you talk with them and get you out of this situation?”

“My parents….” She wheezed sadly as tears welled up in those now bloodshot eyes. “Are the ones who did this to me.”

*************************************

Standing outside of the door, I couldn’t understand it at all. _What was **Eren Jaeger** of all people doing in the alley behind my parent’s restaurant? And dressed so skimpily on such a cold night with no coat?! She was always overly modest when it came to clothing and never flaunted any part of her. She was always cared for, too. So why… Why was she in the alley?_ Hanji was giving the girl a bath and tending any wounds she found while I mentally went insane trying to find out what had happened with her. The only conclusion I could come to was she was harmed and put in that position. There was no way that she was going to be put in that position of her own volition.

The door creaked open from the bathroom, our old, but clean and classic Japanese-style house making things all the more calming as my mind ran too quickly for its own good. “Is she okay!?” was the first thing out of my mouth.

“Well… she has a bit of a lump on her head which isn’t good… looks like she was recently beaten, too… and… look at this picture…” She pushed the cold smart phone toward me and I blushed brightly. A picture of Eren’s breast was presented. I almost threw the phone at that crazy glasses-wearing freak I was adopted by until something more specific caught my eye about the picture. It was an emblem I’d never forget.

“You’re… lying…. She’s a part of the Titan Trio?! And with this emblem… How is she a part of the Military Police faction? She’s never done anything whore-like, Hanji! She’s always been a good girl! She wasn’t just put in today, right? But… this tattoo… it doesn’t show signs of being new….” I knew my already severe countenance went from bad to downright murderous as the only pure being on this Earth was revealed to be a whore. My anger wasn’t at her, though. No, not with the way she constantly smiled at everyone and tried her best to make everyone happy while staying true to herself. I was angry at whoever did this to her. There was no way she was going to be ruined like this without retribution.

“Let’s just wait and ask her how she got to be in there…”

“I’ll wait in the hall when you talk to her about it. I don’t think she’d be comfortable speaking about this with me there.” As I crossed my arms, I found myself stewing even more, but this time with plans to kill each and every man who had dared to touch the angel inside.

************************************

That’s how I ended up here, in the hallway listening to the two talk while leaning against the wall, letting the cool surface calm me as I pressed my neck and undercut against it.

“My parents… are the ones who did this to me.” Anger swelled in my chest as I heard the two beings you were supposed to trust the most had up and betrayed her. The situation sounded a bit too familiar.

“They… they found out I was dating a 30 year old when I was 13 and… decided since I wanted to get knocked up so much and screwed like a piece of cattle, I could go to a whorehouse. They weren’t going to support me anymore…

“In fact, they moved away after that… I’ve been lying to all my friends about living with some aunt that I don’t actually have… There’s another girl at the Den where I report to and she can sometimes help me with an alibi, but most times it’s incredibly hard to shake them off after school and I end up having to run around the city like I’m insane just to lose them before I go to work…”

“Do you want to be there?”

“Not really… but I belong there… I… I kinda… _enjoyed_ it for those first months after they put me in there. I… liked the feeling of sex… which is why I belong in this whorehouse… I was told my parents weren’t actually selling me, but just scaring me for the first month, but once they realized I enjoyed it… They took their money and got out of there… That's when I got my emblem.”

I felt sick to my stomach. Her parents were supposed to _protect her_ , not put her in a position that was worse than what she was doing! Plus, it sounded like she was put there after being played with emotionally by an older man.

“Little titan… Sex is SUPPOSED to feel good. It’d be concerning if it _didn’t_! I think it was a bad move for them to put you in a whorehouse for enjoying something that your body is made to do. I mean, haven’t you had a lot of health problems from this?”

I couldn’t watch what was happening, but I knew how she felt… Sex did feel good… almost as good as the drugs I used to take so often, but that didn’t give them a reason for tossing her out!

“Yes… I’ve counted during the years…. I’ve lost nine fetuses from this job! I didn’t want to! But if I got pregnant because he wouldn’t let us use condoms I’d end up underfed until it died or more commonly beaten until it’s gone! I haven’t had a period in several months now because he doesn’t want to bother with beating me…  So he won’t provide food for me so I’m constantly searching for it while on dates with those clients….”

Rancid bile crept up my throat as my head spun a little with the rage and disgust I felt brimming inside of me, begging to be let out. My precious angel had endured what no woman wants to endure, not just once, but _NINE_ times!

“And he… he gives the other girls food at least… some of them even get birth control if he likes them! Like Annie! She gets birth control religiously and is well-fed…. He hates me and I don’t know how to get away from him! I can’t run because the other two sectors will get me and I can’t commit suicide because I’m a coward! I want my wings of freedom! I want them so badly! But I can never make enough each week and I don’t have anyone who loves me enough to buy me out! I-I just-! I wanna die! I can’t handle it anymore! No matter how hard I work, it’s never enough! Please! God! Just- Just-!”

She broke off into uncontrollable sobbing and wailing, the sounds of a broken individual resonating within me all too well. All I wanted to do was go to her and hug her close. Those feelings… those dark, all-consuming feelings weren’t easy to bear… and yet she did so daily for years… always smiling and being a cute little angel… My heart broke even more in that moment with her.

Soon there were soft hics and sniffles here and there before the sounds of her softly sleeping reached my ears again. Hanji came out right after. “You heard all of that?” she asked quietly. “Nevermind, your eyes say you did. Let’s go to the living room and talk about this.”

********************

As soon as we took our seats, I laid into my mother-figure. “Hanji…. I’m going to be serious with you… I want to buy her… I want to put those wings on her and stop those who are harassing her… I know the girl she’s talking of – the one that’s favored… I’m going to sit down and ask how much it’ll cost to buy Eren outright and get her her wings of freedom. I might need help affording it if she’s got too high of a price tag, but  if it’s not too far off what I already have from my days there pushing drugs… I’ll work here and earn it…” My hands were calloused as I looked down at them, gathering my thoughts. A splash of red showed on them briefly, reminding me of my not so great past.

“I want to be a man she can be with happily. She’s done nothing, but be a good child who indulged in her body’s curiosity and – from what it sounds like – was taken advantage of by an older person anyways, then abused and punished for it. I don’t want to have to ask for your help, but if I do need it, I will not hesitate to ask.” My voice, I knew, conveyed my desire to her, let her know just how much I wasn’t going to give up on this girl and the look Hanji gave me made me relieved that I did.

“I’ll talk with your father on it, but I don’t think that it’d be a bad thing. But first… before you buy her wings… you might want to explain who you are to her. Maybe make friends with her. After all, I’m sure I would have met her if you were friends with her.” Ever the practical woman, if not eccentric. I nodded and stood quickly, hands shaking with a bit of rage still.

“I agree… I’ll check into it when we head back to school. But first, I’m heading out to talk to this Annie…”

“Be careful now~! Don’t make them try to take your wings away, Levi…” The playful tone dropped off at the end and I knew she was serious about my safety… just as I was serious about Eren’s safety and happiness.

**********************************************

“Oi! Annie, right? Mind coming with me for a few moments?” I asked as I stood outside of the school, waiting on the short, but built blond while smoking on a clove cigarette. She stared with those piercing, deconstructing, analyzing eyes before nodding and coming forward as she assessed the danger and possible bailing locations.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Her clipped tone did nothing to deter me as I pulled away my shirt some and revealed the Wings of Freedom over my heart. Her eyes squinted even more, her lithe body moving to a fleeing position.

“Calm down. I have questions about your _co-worker_ , Jaeger.” I determinedly battled with her eyes, not willing to back down even for a moment.

“What about her? Did she do something to piss you off, because I’m not bailing her out. She’s just a person that I work with.”

“Not at all… In fact, I have a question about her _price_. And I’m not talkin’ the price that she’d cost for a night, I want her price for life, for her to gain her own wings.”

The woman regarded me for a long while, the stare-down intensifying. “You’ll never be able to afford her.”

“I was a Heichou and turned down a Danchou position in the drug-trafficking part of the ring… If that doesn’t give me enough income, nothing will. _Tell me her price._ ” The more time of mine she wasted, the less I had to go back and make Eren feel like the beautiful, wonderful, angelic woman she was.

“I don’t know it… But since you’ve got the Wings of Freedom, I’ll take you to Nile and let you talk it out with him…”

I felt agitation building up in my veins again, but ignored it for following this dumb whore who couldn’t help my Eren. “Make it quick.”

Just as we turned to leave, Annie was accosted by a smaller, dorkier blond that I recognized as Eren’s best friend Armenhammer or something like that. “Annie! Annie! Wait a second! Have you seen Eren today? Was she hurt by her aunt again during the check up?”

 _Check up? What kind of checkup sexually assaults and beats their workers? And Aunt? What the hell are they talking about?_  
“Armin, she was hit last night… but she’ll be fine. Give her a day or two of resting and then she’ll be back, I’m sure.”

There was definitely something going on between those two… some sort of underlying tension that seemed to fall in the crush to ‘I want you to be mine forever and ever’ range. Before I could continue picking up on what was there, the one I sought out nodded and pulled me back into the moment.

“Let’s make this quick, I have to get out there before Nile gets too drunk tonight.”

“Ah…. Can I come along, Annie?”

“No! Stay there and don’t follow me. I have to show this man to an acquaintance of mine that I hate. I don’t need some nerd coming along and getting hurt!” That was clearly the wrong thing to say to the sensitive shorty. His eyes beaded with tears and his lip quivered some before he set his shoulders and levelly stared at her.  
“I won’t be a bother, Annie. Let me go with you.”

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you get?!” She’d had enough and the harsh kick to his chest winded him and landed him on his ass, surely leaving behind a parting bruise as well. She grabbed my hand and yanked me along. Had it been any other time I would have happily showed her how little I appreciated the manhandling, but as it was, I needed her to show me where I could purchase Eren’s freedom.

The run was quick, the girl having taken me directly to her owner’s location. It was a seedy Victorian place that made me sick to my stomach, especially as I opened the door and walked in with her past two large guards that I’m sure I’d seen at school last year as graduating seniors. They pushed their arms out to stop me, the shorter of which seemingly more angry and rearing for a fight, and began rudely.

“Rules are that you have to be 18 to enter this establishment with a membership card. You don’t meet any of those requirements.”

“Well, giant and beanstalk, I’m here to purchase a certain person… and I DO have a membership ‘card’… right here on my chest.” I pulled away my shirt to show my wings and they nodded, though the smaller bulky male seemed less pleased to let me through.

The walk to this man’s office made me physically upset. There was the scent of sexual secretions, sweat, and other bodily fluids and excretions that I didn’t want to think about at the moment. The sounds of slapping flesh, cries of both pleasure and pain, and the view of people making out or doing worse things flooded my senses in all the wrong ways.

“Whore! Shut the fuck up! I’ll smash that pretty little skank-ass face of yours in if you don’t stop cryin’ and take my dick in all the goddamned way!” A burly man yelled as he pushed an obviously underage girl to take in his disgusting potentially diseased member without even a condom to protect the girl.

In another room a girl who looked thoroughly abused received yet another beating as three men forced her to do things she obviously wasn’t enjoying, especially with the way they hit her all over. She looked moments from passing out.

I looked forward instead, unable to handle it anymore. The views I saw in my peripheral were just as uncomfortable, but I was able to keep my sanity a little better. “Here, this is his office… I’m heading out so good luck.” Eren’s co-worker and classmate walked away quickly, obviously not wanting to be there.

I took a deep breath of the putrid stale air and knocked on the door. “Come in,” came a calm, but annoyingly sick voice. I opened the door to see the man in question pushing a pregnant woman to take him in deeper. “Oh? A man? How rare… Did one of my women do you wrong?”

It took all I had in me to remain impassive and calm. “I’m actually interested in buying a girl’s wings if you’ll only give me her price.”

“Ah, that privilege is reserved for people within our organization who have proven themselves loyal to us and are trusted to go out without a leash…” He looked all too pleased with the fact that I wanted to buy one of his girls and the fact that he thought he could keep such a good worker.

“So… you mean like this?” I asked as I pulled the shirt I wore away from my wings for the third time that day already. He blanched some before tossing the girl away, not caring that she had fallen on her side, heavily pregnant as she was. I had this scumbag’s full attention.

“Yes, exactly like that… Which girl are we talking about?”

“Eren Jaeger.” The look on his face told me he was less than pleased.

“Mina, grab her file.” The pigtailed girl nodded and crawled over to a cabinet and pulled out the information requested. As she made her way back, she was hit across the face even more violently than before. “Next time make it quick, you dumb fuck!”

He turned to me and opened the file. “Her price is… $72 million. You really want to buy this useless bitch?”

“How is she nearly triple what the average girl is?” It wouldn’t be too hard to  get that… but it was enough that I’d have to move back into my territory  and actually collect some profit, as much as I didn’t want to dirty my hands again.

“Because of how many times  she’s done a customer wrong, failed to bring back the proper amount of money, broken something, been late, rebelled, and, of  course, how much her initial payment was to acquire her. If you don’t like the price then you shouldn’t try to buy that lazy bitch. She’d probably just fuck up and anger you anyways.”

“Let me ask you something…” I said leaning closer to him. “If she’s so burdensome and so expensive for you to handle… why not sell her cheaper and cut your losses earlier rather than later?”

There was another stare down and this one I feared would lead to an actual fist fight. “Because I want all of my money back on her so I’ll drive her into the ground or get my full amount. **_Take it or leave it!_**”

I stood and nodded. “Fine. I’ll get the remaining amount together over the next month and then she’ll be mine. Let’s sign a deal on this now and I’ll have $50 million delivered to you tonight. Deal?”

He looked all kinds of upset and I was all too happy about it. “Deal...”

“Also, I’ll pay another $3 million if she can stay with her friends for this next month instead of here.”

“She still needs to work…”

“That’s why I’m adding the $3 million.”

“No, I need her here and working!”

“Then let her work three customers here after school _in a room_ and then let her go home to a friend’s house.”

He stared me down for the longest time, but I held my spot. He growled as he stood up and nodded. “FINE!” He stomped over to the cabinets and made to kick the girl on the ground, missing because she moved, and pulled out a contract. He came to me and we began writing it up.  As he wrote, my phone rang.

“She’s up. What do I do?” It was a text from Hanji.

“Keep her there,” I typed quickly before sending and paying attention to what he’d just written down. It took another three hours before the man and I finished ironing out the details. I signed it with a smug smirk on my face before handing him the pen. He growled and signed it with an angry scrawl. I smirked more as I took the top sheet of the contract before standing and leaving.

I pulled out my phone as I left the horrible place. “Aurou… I need a few favors.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? Please leave a comment or a kudo and let me know how it is!


	3. Can I accept this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS SO DIFFICULT TO WRITE OUT CORRECTLY!  
> I apologize for the delay but I had issues with areas in here... Next chapter... shit shall happen!

“Miss, I’m not trying to be rude, but can I please leave yet? My owner is going to be so angry with me when he finds I skipped school today…” I had resorted to being polite since panicking and begging had done nothing to sway this woman. Next step was seduction if this failed.

With a shake of her head, I heard the words I didn’t want to hear. “I cannot do that, little Titan. You won’t tell me your name, a way to get hold of you, and you won’t SLEEP and REST when we both know that you need it badly.”

“I just did-“ I started indignantly, only to be cut off once more.

“Little Titan, staying still and pretending to sleep isn’t sleeping and the sleep you did get doesn’t count since you seemed to be sleeping so horribly.” I pouted at her, thoroughly upset and not caring how much of a kid I looked like as I crossed my arms over my sore chest stubbornly.

“Now, this is how this’ll go… I have someone that’s wanted to say hello to you for some time and he’s on his way back.”

 _A customer?_   I pondered momentarily.

“He’s said that he’s struck a deal with your owner to try to get you out of there, but you need to sit there and rest for the coming conversation between you two. He said he wanted to lay some ground rules in regards to getting you your wings- a few stipulations if you will. After all, it sounds like you were extremely expensive, even for him.”

I’m sure my impression of a fish gasping for air was quite convincing because the mirth that glossed that woman’s face over was definitely assuring me it was. It took me a few long minutes before I could even begin processing this combination of words.

_Some poor sap is actually buying me?! But that’s not possible! Nile’s set my price so high anyone with half a mind wouldn’t buy me! What the hell!? I need to talk to this man and make him break this deal because it’s the dumbest thing he’ll ever do in his entire life! No one is allowed to free me except for me, god dammit!_

I could feel the sneer coming onto my lips as rage at this unknown man welled up inside of me along with something else I didn’t want to acknowledge. A burgeoning sprout of hope was growing within my chest just as its heavy roots fell like massive boulders into my stomach and coiled around all of my organs, infesting me thoroughly.

 _There’s no way this is possible! Stop feeling hopeful, you dumb idiotic low-brow skankface!_ I told myself as I recited some of the more negative things Nile had whispered to me during my training and discipline. I tried to yank that little sproutling from the ground that was my heart, but it was already too deeply embedded. I couldn’t yank the roots from my stomach where butterflies rushed to and fro to avoid the weighty boulders of dread inside of me, the little fuckers lifting me up without my consent.

“Are you… alright, Little Titan?” brought me back to the present where I saw the maternal figure I’d liked so much as I woke up try to calmly ask if I was going to snap any minute,  _just like the rest_.

“I’m fine… Can’t wait to meet this guy… he’ll soon realize what a huge mistake this kind of action is.”

“Oh? And why is it a mistake?” she tossed back as she leaned forward enthusiastically, as if to get some good gossip or data. I’m not sure which she’d be happier to receive.

“Because I’m a horrible person who’s been ruined too many times to count, cast aside by my own mother and father and lover, and let’s not even mention how I lie to all of my friends daily! ‘I’ve got a sick aunt I have to go help’ when really I’m going and sleeping with men just to survive!” I had jumped from bed and was pacing angrily as I tried to reason it aloud again. The look on the woman’s face as I glimpsed at her told me she was disappointed in something – in me. I hated that so much!

I made a move for the window, but found that the door was ajar.  Just as I rushed forward to escape that room, that stifling atmosphere, it opened all the way and I ran face first into someone, bowling them over. Strong arms wrapped around me and held me down as I tried to get up and escape again.

“Whoa, calm down there, brat!” came a rough, authoritative yet seductive voice I’d never heard before.  It made me want to stop fighting and listen to what it had to say, just to listen. “Where do you think you’re going?” That once velvet voice was suddenly mixed with that voice which I hated as he mimicked the words I’d heard a few times as I tried to escape.

“A-AwaY! Get away from me and let me leave! Th-this-s isss **illegal**! Illegal imprisonment! Let me leave!” I wished that my heart would slow down and let me think a bit more clearly, but as it was, the sound of my heart was too loud and painfully obvious over everything else. I was only a split moment from actually fighting back.

“ _Eren_ ,” he started, making me stop, the power in that voice obvious as it snared my consciousness and called to me. I’d somehow gotten wrapped up in a boss that outranks Nile. That’s the only way to explain the authority in this voice. The smart part of me, the part that saves my life nine time out of ten, stopped struggling and let this strong man hold me. _Maybe he can at least transfer me to one of the better dens if I please him well enough._

“Calm down… No one will hurt you here.” He was gentle with a bit of a rasping growl to his voice that made me shiver. I couldn’t say no to this voice. This was a voice that I had to obey, trust, and believe in with all of my being. “Calm down and let’s go talk in the living room.”

The living room; a safe place for business talks before I render my services, a place to talk with this man and get myself a better life, even if marginally so. A nodding motion happened and it took me a moment to realize that it was the reason my vision of that wall was moving some; I was the one nodding.  The woman who watched over me helped me up and the man stood, latching onto my forearm firmly, but not painfully, leaving me confused and a little paranoid as to when the pain would begin.

The three of us went down the quaint, homey hallway to the nicely decorated, very warm living room that invited you to sit, have tea, and let your worries go until the ends of time. As I took my seat, I couldn’t help but feel my shoulders slump some and my back melt into a more comfortable posture. Those with me seemed only slightly affected by the great room and it made me want a living room like this one for my own someday. I wanted a room where people could relax a little even in the most tense and grave of situations.

“I’m Levi Zoe-Smith and that’s my adopted mother, Hanji Zoe-Smith. I’m the one who found you in the alley behind their restaurant and I also go to school with you, but I’m a year above you. What questions do you have for me before I explain the conditions around freeing you, whom I’m sure shitty glasses here has told you of already?”

I stared at him for a long while, face guarded and skepticism running rampant in my eyes. I could only hope that he didn’t see the slight hint of hope in my eyes. “Why are you trying to buy me? I’m not a worthy investment, by far, and honestly I feel like calling your bluff.  This can’t be a real purchase.” That had to be it. They were messing with me. That’s the only logical explanation for all of the events up until now. Find a whore, pretend like you’re going to buy her, and then just dump her off with no care for the world as you laugh at having duped her.

He kept his façade of trickery up very well as he calmly explained, “Because I think you’re a worthy investment. You’ve not done anything unreasonable-“

“I lied to my friends after my parents kicked me out for being a baseless whore.”

“You didn’t know how to react to a situation and were very young and vulnerable. From what you’ve told us, you were taken advantage of and used. I’m well aware of your past and what convictions you hold; I’m still buying your freedom.”

“Don’t say that dumb shit!” I snarled as I stood. I don’t care who this man is. He CAN’T afford me and he CAN’T buy me!

“I’ve talked to Mr. Dok and we’ve already arranged for your purchase. As we speak, two-thirds of your price is being delivered to his establishment. The rest will be delivered by the end of the month. During the month you will work at his establishment taking on three customers a night, go to school, and sleep at a friend’s house. If none is available for the night, you’re welcome to come here.”

I stared at him, silenced for once. _This can’t be happening… He’s already spent so much on me… Why is he doing this? This can’t just be charity work… If he has the authority to buy me, it’s not charity work. So then…. Why?_ I looked at him and shook my head sadly. _He must want me as a personal slave…_

“What is your real motive for buying me…?”

****************************************

_Why is it so hard for her to realize that I’m fine with buying her and want the best for her? How is this so hard for her to realize? …Was she so broken at that place that she really can’t believe that anyone would think she’s worth it? How do I help her get over that?_

She spoke her question in such a lachrymose, subjugated way that I considered dropping my stoic business front just to hold her, comfort her, and let her know how wonderful I know she is. But I didn’t.

“Because I know you’re a good person who, if given another chance, would do so much better and live a life worth living. You wouldn’t go back to your old ways and that’s what’s important… I got my second chance at life and I’m not going back, so you should as well… I’d help you get acquainted back with the rest of the world as would your friends I bet.”

She seemed to think it over hard and long before nodding. “Fine… I’ll give it a try… but you have to let me pay you back somehow…”

I couldn’t stop the small smile from reaching my face as I quickly respond. “All I want is to walk next to you as you endure this journey to a normal life. I want to get to know you better.”  She didn’t seem to be happy with that, but the breathless look on her face told me she would accept it as long as I was happy. And oh was I happy.  “Stay here tonight then go to school with me in the morning.” A mindless nod is what I needed and what I got. Maybe this would work  out without problems for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you see any problems, let me know. I know my tenses can get a bit screwy with this style of writing so please tell me and don't just let it go. I don't mind at all.
> 
> Comments are welcome and almost always responded to quickly!


	4. Breakfast is the calm before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter did NOT wanna come out. It's unbetaed and I'll be honest, the tense may have changed a few times but I think it's mostly consistent.

Morning came faster than the girl anticipated apparently. A blaring alarm had her jolting up and rushing around the room like a silly little bird which I watched for a long moment before tapping on the door. “Little Titan… Calm down. You have plenty of time to get dressed before you have to get food and shuffle off to school with Levi. You might even want to just take some time to calm down. Would you like some coffee?”

Solidifying like she’d been flash-froze, the tiny, emaciated girl stopped in her tracks. After a few more moments of looking like a frightened, cornered flighty chick, she seemed to wake up and remember what had happened and where she was. She slowly released her limbs from the locked position she had just seemed to be enamored with. “Ah… Y-Yeah… coffee sounds good… A-and how am I going to get dressed? I don’t really have any school clothes on me…”

“I think you’ll just have to go to school like that and change there. There are some spares there, right?”

She nodded shyly, blushing like a robin’s chest. “Y-yeah… I always keep a spare after I started getting periods… but I haven’t had one in so long… I hope my clothes there aren’t too dusty…”

“I don’t think they will be. Now, come and get some coffee with me and maybe some breakfast, eh, Little Titan?”

Another polite nod and she headed towards me. As the polite child comes to me I’m struck with how annoying her politeness is after all we’ve gone through together. I pull her close and hug her tightly, not afraid of hurting her, even if I should be. “Stop acting like a stranger… You’re closer to family than a stranger!”

“But I barely know you guys and I’ve been nothing but a burden on you all who doesn’t deserve what you’ve done for me! The least I can do is be polite!”

“The least you can do is _relax_ and _be yourself_ for us. We prefer that here. After all, we accept Levi the most as his violent, rude, and vulgar self! Surely the real Eren isn’t that bad at all!”

“The real Eren… is weak, but angry… devious yet honest… playful and happy and yet… depressed… I’m two-faced and not worth anything! At least Levi-san is always the same, a consistent person who doesn’t change depending on the situation. He’s always himself… I’m not ever the same me…”

“I don’t think that second part of you is REALLY Eren. I think that part of you is a mask you’ve grown over the years of abuse and hurt to become stronger and help you deal with the circumstances. You’ve grown armor, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t shed it when you’re in a safe place. I think the happy Eren I hear about who loves singing and dancing is the real Eren who needs a little help. We all do… And we all need our armor. But you just have to learn when to let your armor retire which you haven’t learned yet.”

I let her ponder over what I’ve told her, hoping it helps her some. She takes a few moments to ruminate, like I want her to, and then motions for us to go on and continue walking.

“Alright! Breakfast! Let’s go!” I lead her happily through the house with plenty of energy and hope that she cheers up some. She seems like a spunky enough girl when she’s free. I bring her to the table that’s already set with a nice plate of food for her, not allowing her to try for the plate with less on it.

“You need some meat on those bones! Eat up! Levi cooked it so it’s yummy!”

“As if I’d let you fucking poison her, you shitty glasses!”

“Don’t talk to your mother like that, Levi.” I hear my beloved and smile brighter as he walks into the room as well. Levi seems less than happy to have been reprimanded, as he finished washing his hands, but I don’t care. I hop right over to my tall, strong blondie and smooch him right on the lips.

“Erwin~! My love! Look! It’s Levi’s _friend_ , Eren! Eren, this is my husband and Levi’s adopted father, Erwin Smith! Isn’t he amazing!” I exuberantly chatter at her.

“Ah, I’m not going to hurt you, Eren.” It’s only when I look away from Erwin that I see how terrified she is. Levi’s already next to her, plopping down protectively and glaring at us for scaring her. It makes my heart flutter with happiness.

“Eat up, Eren, this’ll be a long day. I can already tell.”

The cute child nodded hesitantly and began eating mice-sized bites while Erwin and I took our seats. She flinched each time Erwin moved his hand in her direction and it yanked on my heart like pliers on that one man’s nails before I could stop Levi back in Tokyo.

“So, Eren~! Did you know that Erwin here is secretly likes to roll onto his back and get belly rubs like a puppy?” Erwin jumped and flushed and poked my side in retribution but my attempt to brighten the girl’s face worked a little. She had a twitching smile that told me she was holding back. She began eating better sized bites. Things calmed and I enjoyed my breakfast more.

*****************************

I left for school with Levi and was grateful to be away from that hulk of a father he had. I still felt highly awkward walking with him and even moreso being in his clothing. I couldn’t wait to get to school and get changed into my clothes.

“I’ll be checking on you during the day… Since you have those injuries and all…” I looked at him for a long moment from the corner of my eye before nodding.

“S-sounds good…” It was a quiet walk until we got near the school and some of my friends spotted me, rushing up to me. I panicked a little bit as I tried to think of what to do. Before I could think of what to do, Levi had me behind him and Mikasa was towering over him.

“Move it, Midgit!” Her angry voice snapped me out of my momentary stupor and I pulled him back.

“Calm down! H-He’s just concerned because he f-found me passed out behind his place in the mud and snow! Don’t be mad at him Mikasa! He didn’t want me hurt after this morning. I-It’s fine,  okay?”

“You passed out!?” she was looking me over like the concerned mother hen I always knew her to be.

“Y-yeah… I, ya know! –It just… was too cold this morning and I-I keep forgetting my coat in the mornings and so… yeah… H-he took me in and helped me up, gave me a change of clothes and here we are! L-Let’s go get my clothing from my locker. Thanks Levi!” I turned and started running a little away from him, hoping to keep the focus off of him. It worked for the most part and I went about my day like normal.

He came by during first break and pulled me out into the hall with a glare and a jerk of his head.

“Y-Yeah?”

“How’re you feeling?” he asked in a tone that made me question if he actually wanted to be there in my presence.

I shrunk against the wall a bit and nodded. “Fine enough.”

“Have you asked them if you can stay with them?”

“I-I don’t have to. I-If I just follow Mikasa home it’ll be enough.”

“You know you have to go back there after school and _then_ to her house, right?”

“Y-Yeah… But she won’t mind me just showing up on her doorstep, I’m sure.”

“Well, if you need a place, you know where we are. Here, my phone number just in case. I might not be there, but Hanji and Erwin will happily let you in until I get back. See ya.” He was gone before I could form a response, just staring in between the small slip of paper in my hands and his back blankly, trying to comprehend what had happened.

He didn’t come to check on me for the rest of the day, but I did feel eyes on me during every passing period. It felt nice to be so carefully watched over by someone other than Mikasa or Armin who I felt did it out of compulsion.

When I left school, Annie acted like she was the one making sure I got home okay as she took me back to that horrible place. As I arrived, I sighed and pushed forward, ready for hell.

And hell is what I got.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this wasn't good! I'm just writing to have fun so... Yeah... And also, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who likes this crappily written fanfic. I know I personally wish I had better writing skills for this, but ah well. Can't get better without practice. 
> 
> Next chapter is ANGST! Like bad angst... but not as bad as what will happen soon enough~!


	5. Shit Storms Would Be Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bertholdt and Reiner play dress up with Eren. Lots of pain, FLUFF, and Dok will not survive if he keeps this shit up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet ya thought this was abandoned, didn't 'cha? Well, wrong, because this is just a work that has to wait for my life to calm the fuck down before I can devote enough time to it to make it worthwhile. 
> 
> Good news is that it got the long-awaited update! Bad news is, it's the update that broke everyone's hearts. The title is sufficient at explaining what happens~ lol.
> 
> Anyways, read on my dear lovelies, and thank you for continuing to support this senior in college with a full course load and working 30 hrs a week!

“So… you got yourself a little boyfriend, did ya, rubbish skank? Wanna suck his dick for all your life? Think his is better than mine? Well, I’ll have you know… I don’t appreciate you going behind my back like this, **_Eren_** , and I’m not afraid to show you in your last month here what crossing me means… So little **WHORE** , let’s get started with training you for your new owner.” Nile was pissed, to say the least, as I walked in, Annie scurrying away as quickly as possible. He looked drunk, too, if the wavering stance he held was any indication of his state.

He had me against the door before I could refute his words with the knowledge that Levi gave me just that morning. A clammy almost slime-like sensation accompanied his hands around my neck. As much as this should have scared me for my life, I felt slightly invincible now knowing that my freedom was in the works. My reaction was to gasp and claw feebly at his hands, but not the full-out struggle I often put up when he got this violent.

As he leaned in, snarling in absolute rage, I noted the distinct smell of gin and whiskey on his breath and vaguely wondered how long he’d been drinking before I got here to have such a pungent stench worked up. He brought me out of my musings by slamming me against the solid oak door and pulled me from my feet, sandwiching me between him and the wood with his hips angrily pushing into my bony hips. A small cry is all I allowed him as swimming room syndrome returned to aggravate me further.

Pushing against him finally, and fighting hard for my freedom now as black dots seeped into my vision, I vaguely registered that sleazy smirk twisting his face even more, his hands tightening ever so slightly more.

“Boss, no offence, but she’s not yours to kill anymore. Please don’t make that man bring down the Garrison or the Wing’s Enforcers on us.” That soft voice… Mina? Yes, definitely Mina… But he never lets her out anymore with how close she is to popping and how much he knows I enjoy her company. He must’ve really let his guard slip. Just like his hands slipping from my neck. I crumple onto the floor, coughing and gagging some as air is forcibly returned to my lungs.

Temporarily so, it seems, as a foot connects to my stomach, the stench of bile hitting me before the sensation of throwing up does. I let my eyes focus on the small mess on the chipping faded wood flooring before looking at the foot that caused it. His shoes are on the wrong feet… He had to be so wasted to do that. I’m dragged along the floor by my hair before I can even make sense of why I’m being beaten this time. I try my best to stay quiet as I try to crab crawl along the floor to avoid splinters, but he doesn’t allow me such luxuries, yanking my hair higher then lashing it down before pulling me faster. Whimpers are all that I allow him as I feel the small pricks of wood slide into the flesh of my thighs, exposed as they were to the air and flooring.

A gentle bed is what I’m forced onto, but my neck hurts even more from being the main weight-bearer for such an action. I can’t enjoy it for long before he’s pulling my clothing off, seemingly purposefully ruining them and disallowing their reuse after this horrible event. The underwear I usually wear to school is even ruined by what I can now see is scissors. A terrible feeling of dread rushes through me as I stare back at those glinting, dull shears. Images of him stabbing me with them multiple times or slicing my throat with them, enjoying the coppery scent of my blood as it drenches him fill my mind so much I don’t notice him toss them away.

It’s only when I feel him forcing something down my throat that I come out of my revere and notice the sickening medicine taste on my tongue as I unconsciously swallow to be able to breathe again. “What’d-?” My cheek stinging stops me from continuing, my gaze on the wall now, not the sickening man. He’s in a rush tonight, it seems, as I feel something cold being pushed between my lower lips. I vaguely acknowledge that it’s lube and silently thank the stars that he’s decided to spare me a painfully, potentially bloody rape. I’d hate to bleed from there for some other reason than a period.

He takes me hard and fast, dragging his jagged and sharp nails – were they always this sharp or did he make them that way for me especially – down my sides.

“You will eat **SHIT** with that other man! I will personally **_RUIN YOU_** for that cocky asshole. Your cunt will be so big and sloppy that not even an elephant will enjoy you! I will destroy you before I hand you over, you fucking asshole! You’re **MINE!!!** Despite what a new tattoo will say, you will ALWAYS be **_MINE!!! MY_ LITTLE SKANK!!! _MY_ WHORE AT THIRTEEN!!! _MY LITTLE CUNT TO FUCK FOREVER!!!_ HE MAY COVER MY MARK, BUT  IT’LL _ALWAYS BE THERE!!!_** YOU CAN’T ESCAPE ME, you fucking **_USELESS BITCH!!!_** He’ll tire of you and send your ass back looking for a refund and I won’t give it, but I’ll take you off his hands and you’ll be a **HUNDRED** times more miserable. Is that what you want? To be even  MORE **_MISERABLE?!_** Well, you just got your wish, bitch!”

His words hurt more than the physical pain he puts me in as he delivers his diatribe. He could pinch my nipples even harder and it won’t hurt as much as being called his. He could use a machine to stab my vagina a million times over with something sharp and sandpapery and it still wouldn’t hurt as bad as being called useless. He could torment me for years, but it will never hurt as much as being rejected by a trusted person again will.

Those words slowly seep into my body with each opening he makes with the pain of him slapping, biting, twisting, and pounding on my body. Each letter takes root on my skin and sends tendrils of its poisonous roots towards my heart, twisting and mixing with other letters’ roots, growing stronger and closer to my heart as they grow in the vulnerable flesh they lay into. The only barrier my heart holds is that plant of hope I had continually tried to stifle… and now regret doing so. The vine-like roots tap at and inject the small hope-plant with their poisonous influence, wilting and slowly, ever so achingly slowly, ruining my heart’s only defense.

Then suddenly, like a vice, they snare the small plant, further choking it and roughly yanking at the roots, shattering my heart in the wake of their violent affair. The poison loosens up the plant even more and it’s only now that I realize how foolish it is to think that someone like Levi would want me. If Levi is a decent man, he wouldn’t want me, ever, and for him to want me would mean he’s a worse person than Dok.

I’m sent back to the day when I arrive in this very house, this very room even. Dok had seemed like such a kind man who genuinely cared for his women. He only let the nice men fuck me and held me so tenderly when I cried. When he came to me with his desires, he was always so gentle, praising, and calm. I’d fallen for it, heart-broken and betrayed by my family and lover, and found comfort and trust in him. It was all a well-crafted façade, of course, because otherwise he wouldn’t be above me screaming something that sounds remotely similar to “Get Pregnant you cunt,” but I know he’d never want me to carry his child. I wave it away as his hands find my neck again and begin to slowly force me to sleep.

*******************************

It’s only when I’m shivering in the backyard of the Den that I wake up, disoriented and very sore. He had left me naked and covered in too much cum to be his alone. Something tells me I took on more than three customers tonight… At least I wasn’t awake for that. I carefully pull myself up and walk to the backdoor for working women only and see the two bouncers that I can’t help but think I’ll miss when I’m gone.

Reiner rushes down the steps to pick me up. “Eren, are you okay to walk? We were told not to bother you while you ‘slept’ with a penalty game as punishment if we did. We have your belongings right here and your spare uniform if you’d like to wear that... but your legs and arms…” I let the world stop spinning as I lay in his arms gingerly before I look to what he was talking about: bruises in an obvious abundance of handprint shapes cover my arms and legs, fists and cuts littering the rest of me. I note absentmindedly that the splinters seem to have taken root and hurt like hell.

“J-Just h-elp me dr-r-e-ss…” I rasp out. My broken soft voice seems to shock even them as they look at me with pity. I haggardly sigh, the rasp really showing in it, as I pound lightly on the muscly expanse of Reiner’s arm. He sets me down, but doesn’t let me go as Bertholdt carefully begins placing my clothing on me, bra first. Reiner maneuvers me around carefully and does the clasp in the back for me, the wheezing hiss I make as his hand connects with some lashes placed on my back, makes me wonder which part of me was ruined worse, the front or the back. They slowly coax me into my clothing, treating me like the ancient china I feel like. At last I’m dressed and Bertholdt is holding out my phone while Reiner gingerly places my backpack on my back. It takes all my remaining willpower not to cry out or collapse onto the ground with its weight digging into the painful ball of flesh that is my body.

Slowly I leave them silently, walking around the house and towards the main street, slowly typing out a text to Mikasa.

“They found my aunt… and I need your help. Come to the stop sign and get me… I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay awake.” Autocorrect was my best friend in that moment as I sent the message to Mikasa and slumped down the pole of the stop sign. It wasn’t long before I heard a voice calling my name and let myself fully succumb to my wounds.

*******************************

I looked for her this morning with her friends, but both the blondie that showed up while I was trying to find out her price and the threatening woman who guarded her as sharply as my angel deserved to be did not show up. I ever so patiently waited until first break to look for them, but upon finding nothing, searched out their group. As I approached, I heard things that were so displeasing, the desire to slit throats seriously threatened to overcome my vow to keep my hands clean of at least blood.

“Did you hear, Connie? Eren is in the hospital and they won’t even let Mikasa or Armin in the room! Something about gangsters attacking her and her aunt and her just barely living! They won’t say why they won’t let those two in the room though. I’m super worried for her!”

I toss the brunette against the wall. “ **Which. Hospital?** ” I ground out, hoping she answers before I eviscerate her in frustration. 

“Wha-? A-Agate Hospital!” She seems to have understood that I wasn’t in the mood to be nice. I drop her sorry ass and whistle loudly. I don’t have to wait long before everyone is around me. “Petra, Eld, Gunther… Agate Hospital with me now… You may have a clean up job before the end of the night if this is what I think it is.” The wary look they give each other as they salute me is enough to let me know they’ll attempt to keep me from spilling blood tonight, but we all are silently acknowledging the fact that there might just be some serious consequences for what’s just happened to put me in this mood.

“They’ve touched her!” I snarl lowly to them as we briskly leave the building, ignoring the teachers and principal. They all bristle even more. My obsession with her isn’t exactly a private one among us. I rush to the hospital and walk right past the doormen who look mildly concerned to see thugs like us walking into their wholesome establishment.

“Eren Jaeger, what room and which floor, now before the titans eat you!” I snap at the poor receptionist. She looks ready to piss her pants and I can’t hold back the sneering smirk at her reaction. She shoves some paper at me with a manila folder, a tab saying “JAE” on it. I glance over the paper first, finding it to be directions, _specific directions_ , to her room. We all start heading there as I open her folder and read the reports. The list of damages is longer than I remember Hanji saying was there beforehand so this can’t be in reaction to those injuries. Then I turn the page and find _pictures_ of her injuries. _PICTURES_ that show just how freshly she’d been beaten, cut, and harmed.

My blood roils in my veins as all the thoughts of how this could happen circulate through my head. Despite there even being full-body nudes in there of her, I can’t see anything sexually attractive in these pictures. Her breasts look more like crudely shaped piles of blueberries, the bruising so severe around her pelvis that any sexual excitement from seeing it was quashed before it could even be conceived. My dear sweet angel full of life and vibrance lay on the table looking more like a corpse than the energetic woman I knew her to be. Everything within my heart ached as I my entire being begged to hold her and softly whisper this all away. The pain she must have felt to incur these wounds only solidifies my pain at seeing them.

It takes Petra’s gentle hand on my arm, rubbing gently for me to realize I’ve stopped dead in the hospital hall way, silently _crying._ I finish looking through them before delicately closing the file, being careful to keep the bile below my mouth as I wipe away my tears and walk with renewed determination to my destination. I’m silently grateful for my team keeping quiet about my emotional outburst, but know they think nothing less of me for it. They all look more than uneasy themselves, having probably seen those images as well.

I reach the room to see the two friends asleep sitting near the door. Two armed guards stand outside the door and I wave the file-folder in front of their faces to silently ask for permission. They grant it and I continue in, motioning for the other three to stay back and wait. This was standard protocol for the hospital upon finding a person with a Titan Trio emblem on them. I was grateful they didn’t let the other two know about her status since I’m sure she doesn’t want it getting around that she _was_ a whore in a brothel.

As I enter, the doctor there looks at me with mild relief and extreme trepidation. Eren seems to be out like the sweet sleeping angel she is. I can’t help but grimace at the blackening bruises on her neck as the doctor softly begins.

“Y-You’re her owner, right? She was brought here after her friend found her passed out by a stop sign and a text saying to come get her. Something about a gang found and attacked her and her aunt and this is the result. She’s been under guard watch since we noticed her seal, sir, and no one has laid a harmful hand on her since. I haven’t even let in her two friends. We’re very grateful someone came because when we called the number for her guardian on file, the people on the other end said they didn’t know any Eren Jaegers and hung up.

“N-Now nothing’s broken or anything, but there’s a lot of lac-“

“I’m well aware… I looked at her file… How long until she can leave again? I’d like to take her back to a safer place as soon as she’s healthy enough. She won’t be harmed like this again, I’ll make sure of it.”

The doctor seemed even more relieved that I wanted to take her off his hands so quickly. “W-Well… as soon as she wakes up she can go, but it’s a matter of keeping her wounds cleaned and keeping her better fed that I’m worried about.”

“No problem then, I’ll take care of her. The others you haven’t allowed in, the blond and Asian, let them in and only them. I’ll be back later to take custody of her. Nothing to the police about this incident, too, as we have our own police, as I’m sure a professional like you knows.” I say smirking at the man who tried to hide his tattoo on his neck. He slapped a hand over his neck and nodded timidly as the color drained from his face.

Now, It’s about time I visited Nile.

*****************

Ginger and Thyme first caress my nose before bellflowers and a slight pine scent come forth to replace it. Soft things brush my forehead gently before leaving again. I feel very calm and relaxed, like I’m floating even.

I pry my eyes open slowly, enjoying the blissfulness of location. Everything feels warm and protected. I even feel arms over me… Arms? Shouldn’t arms not be over me? I look down before I can freak out and am greeted by the cutest and most loving scene ever. Armin and Mikasa are cuddled up to me, arms wrapped around my waist and chest to rest on my shoulder. My arms are over their shoulders and limply lying on their arms. Over all, I’m in bliss and I have no idea what I did to deserve such a great wake up.

“What’s up?” I ask in a voice significantly more raspy than my normal morning voice. I ignore it and the slight twinge of pain accompanying it in favor of tilting my head for an answer. Both heads snap up to look at me with such relief and happiness that I’m questioning if I somehow died and their love brought me back.

“Eren! You’re okay!” Armin gushes in a thick whisper my head is grateful for.

“Eren… when I got your text… I was so worried…” Mikasa mumbles even softer, but her eyes betray tears. A glance at Armin shows he feels the same way and both are barely keeping them back.

“Text….? Text….. text? Oh-H!” That night comes crashing down on me all over again and I can’t stop the crumbling my face does in time to protect them from it. The three of us break into tears just as quickly as the first ragged sob leaves my lips. Slowly, memories of what happened while I was blacked out returned as the snippets revealed it was a date-rape drug that had kept me asleep and compliant the whole night.

Slowly, the small plant of hope poked at what was left of my heart.  “Where’s Levi? Where’s my phone? I have to call him and tell him! He’ll do something!” I wheeze out uncomfortably. The doctor in the corner of the room makes himself known just then as Mikasa and Armin begin to question me and my sanity.

“Ah! That man… he came to claim responsibility for you and said that you’re to stay here until he returned. It sounds like he’s already doing something about your attackers, Miss.”

I stare at the doctor for a long moment before asking the right question to ascertain my safety. “He’s short with an undercut right? Grey eyes?” The small nod he gives me is enough to let me relax into the as the small plant of hope grows ever so slowly, still very much stifled by the painful words slowly resurfacing .

“Levi will make things right… He promised me a second chance so he has to…” I mutter to reassure myself. I miss the silent conversation between Armin and Mikasa as they lay with me. Only later would I understand it when Levi came for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The image of Bert and Reiner carefully dressing Eren while trying to be respectful of her is hilarious to me and I loved it.   
> Nile's an assfuck, Eren needs help, and Levi has a chance to prove himself now~! Oh, and yes, that was painful... but I sadly have something else just as painful or more painful planned for Eren in the future, but for now, she gets an uphill fluff attack for maybe two or more chapters. We'll see as these damn things write themselves through my fingers. 
> 
> As always, PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU FIND MISTAKES!!!!


	6. Nile gets what he deserves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nile gets what he deserves. Some fluff, and light Eren being dumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually got this out pretty early. Thanks for reading and please tell me if you see errors.

He had to have seen this coming. He had to have! Beating and raping my lovely angel like he did and then leaving her out by a fucking stop sign passed out like some homeless bitch! I still haven’t decided whether or not to kill him by the time I arrive at the Wings’ Enforcer Department headquarters about forty minutes from Agate Hospital. I stomp right in, flashing them my crest and head to the drunkard who I know can help me.

“Pixis, stop drinking, there’s work to do. A person I’m in the middle of buying was nearly killed last night by a certain Den owner who I think needs knocked down a few pegs. I know he broke our contract last night, as well, so I need compensation for that as well.”

The old man turns to me slowly, guzzling down a large amount of his flask before he sighs happily and levels his eyes on me. “So, someone wants to deal with the old drug lord, eh? Pretty impressive… or idiotic. You have proof this man- Ah, a medical file. Oh… Well… certainly doesn’t seem like a nice thing to do to someone else’s property….. even if she is a whore I’d treat her better than this…” I wait for him to finish reading the medical file before I dig into the problem at hand.

“I’d like to have this man removed as the Den leader, continue my contract with the new leader, and be given some _personal_ time with this asshole. Nile Dok of the 104 th syndicate. How quickly can you make this happen?”

The knowing smile he gives me is slightly creepy, the flush on his cheeks making this seem like a bad porno beginning, but his words speak of terrors to come. “How soon can you get to his Den?”

*****************

The way I kicked open the door made me feel even more pumped to forcibly take this dirty shitbag out of his den of filth. “ ** _NILE DOK!!!_** ” I yell as I look for his stupid scruffy ass. I head right for his office, punching his lackeys when they latch onto me. “I have the Wings’ Enforcement behind me, shitstains!” is all it took to keep them at bay afterward.

The asshole locked his door, but two good rams against it took care of that. He was sitting behind his desk looking anything but pleased to see me. Seems he was nursing a bad hangover… I’m more than happy to relieve him of that pain as I stalk to him directly. His reflexes are so slow he only barely stands before I grab him by the hair and toss his weakened form on the floor like I’d bet he often does to the girls here.

“You broke our contract and hurt my angel, you useless sack of shit! I’m going to show you what happens when you touch what isn’t yours!” I hiss before stomping on his face, hearing the sickening snap of his nose under my boot. I slam my foot into his throat as images of my delicate ball of life’s sickly purple neck come back to me. Soon I lose myself to all the rage I felt inside and any part of me that’s dangerous is slamming into this asshole. Knees to groin and stomach, feet to mouth, stomach, shin, arms, hands to neck, arms, face. Everything is on everything and it’s all so exhilarating and freeing until I feel arms removing me from the being I was happily destroying to hell and back.

“Heichou, remember your vow… What would she think if you killed again? Even if it is this scum, don’t ruin your chances with her by killing.”  Petra’s soft voice helps to lessen my rage, but there’s still too much pulsing through my veins to stop, so I turn to the wall and finish releasing my anger.

When I pull my fist back from the crumbling plaster I’m huffing and altogether drained in a satisfying, yet empty way. I don’t look at the man on the floor for fear of the rage returning. “You’re no longer this Den’s leader. Get the fuck out while I choose the next one.” Eld and Gunther help him out to the street as I wait for his departure.

Girls are peeking into the room hesitantly, unsure what to do now. “Where’s the blond that goes to school with Eren?” I coldly snap. A round of squeaks comes before shuffling in the crowd makes me wonder what’s happening. That girl is tossed into the room, a sacrifice for the angry man.

“You’re going to run this Den now. Make it better for the girls… and you’re going to continue to uphold my deal with this Den. Eren has a month of serving three customers a night in a room to do when she’s healthy again. Now clean this place up and make it worthwhile.”

I leave her there, her stoic face showing only interest at the news I’ve just delivered to her. We leave quickly and I’m on my way back to my little angel.

*************

“So, tell me the story of how you ended up in that classroom where a teacher and student were doing it again, Armin.”

It’s nice to be relaxed with my friends again, even in these circumstances. We’re all cuddled close together just like when we were children again. Armin hesitates to answer and looks up at me biting his lip. A sense of foreboding overcomes me and suddenly I don’t want him to open his mouth and ruin this little blissful time I’m having.  

“Well… actually I was wondering something, Eren. What’s your relationship to that guy, Levi?”

“The midget that I should probably kill,” Mikasa hisses as she tightens her hold on me ever so slightly, careful of touching my injuries.  

“Mikasa! Don’t! He’s a nice guy… I think.”

As I prepare to explain the complicated relationship Levi and I have, he walks into the room, a gentle knock on the door.

“Hey… I’ve taken care of the problem… You’ll be safer from now on, too, I’m going to be sending one of my squad members to follow you around and make sure you’re safe, okay?” His deep, calm voice does wonders on my nerves. It’s just as hypnotic as the first time I heard it and I can’t help but smile at that. “Hanji will be here soon to take us back to my place where we’ve always got security around.” At this point I’m fine with following him so long as I’ll be safe and comforted by that velvety voice.

“Actually, Midget, I don’t care what you’ve done, you’re not taking her away from us and back to some hole in the ground. Go back alone!” Mikasa won’t let go of me as she clings in a way that is slightly painful even with the painkillers they gave me. I try my best to not cringe, but I know I fail because Levi speaks quietly.

“I’m not the one hurting her right now.” Mikasa lets go instantly, a sliver of guilt in her eyes as she checks on me.

“I’m going to let her go after she’s had a few more days to recover, but for now, I need her to come somewhere safe while I make sure that asshole doesn’t have any more dumbasses that might try something when I lessen her guard.” I stare into those gun-metal eyes and slowly let his words sink in. He’s given me no reason not to trust him and let this happen. As I stare, I search for something, some sign that he hasn’t a single dangerous bone in his body for me and all I can see is an emotion too tender to belong on a man who looks like he could kill my entire family in one go. I make my decision.

“Mikasa, he’s not going to do anything to me. I know it. He’s probably going to kill anyone who touches me without my explicit permission. Besides, I’m sure he’ll let you come over, right?” I gave him a stern look just so he got the hint that this was the only way I’d leave with him willingly.

He gave a nod, but was quick to make it obvious that this isn’t going to happen today. “Yes, they may visit from tomorrow on. For now, I just want to make sure everything is in place and safe.” He looked at his phone for a moment before nodding to himself, those steely eyes settling on me once more, warmth slowly enveloping me at the gaze. “And Hanji’s here so we should go now.” He came close to pick me up, but neither friend seemed ready to let me go.

“Seriously guys, just come over tomorrow. Everything’ll be fine, okay? I’ll text you when we arrive and when dinner is served with pictures of what we’re having and everything! Calm down please… Just, let me go with him,” I plead tiredly. I don’t want to fight with them. I don’t want to fight with anyone. I’m tired of it. I just want to rest for once.

“You don’t even know him!” Mikasa protests venomously.

“But I know her well enough to help her out of some bad things, now let her go.” Levi, for the life of him, isn’t that great at making Mikasa happy, if anything, excels at pissing her off further.

“NO!” She snarls, nearly striking out at him,  but I give a pitiful whine and she’s paused, checking on me instead. “Eren? What hurts?”

“My head, from you fighting. I just want to go with him where I’ll be safe and rest. Can’t you just be happy that you’ll see me tomorrow and that I’ll be a bit better? Can’t you just stop fighting and let me take the easy route and relax in his comfy house?”

She seems to hesitate upon hearing how I want to give into this man’s requests and just go along with him, tired of this shit. “I’ll tell you all everything tomorrow, okay? For now, I just want to go rest.” Slowly, they let go and stand aside for me to go with Levi.

As I go to stand, strong arms gently pluck me from the rough bedding. He’s holding me a bit awkwardly, but I note that the way he holds me doesn’t bother any of my wounds.

“Use a wheelchair or hold her properly! You’re going to drop her this way!” Mikasa gripes at him, but he simply ignores her. We make it to the hallway only to be assaulted by a loud cry of joy from what I think is Hanji, his mother.

“LEVI! You took too long! They wouldn’t let me in even though I’m your mother! Ah! I- Ow!” He kicks her shin to stop the loud enthusiastic wailing from the creature I’m not sure is human anymore. “Oh, you’re holding her… Okay! Let’s go home…” She looks a little ill at seeing me, but I ignore it and hide my face in his chest in embarrassment.

“I can wa-“

“Don’t. Just don’t… Let me take care of you and pamper you like the angel you are,” he whispers quietly into my hair. The scent of tea, clove cigarettes, and sweat clings to him, but I can’t bring myself to care. The sweetness of the clove cigarettes makes me feel relaxed while the drugs in my system to help the pain make me drowsy. I don’t remember falling asleep.

************

_She’s perfect_ , I conclude as I watch her sleep during the car ride. Hanji’s driving slowly and carefully, a change from her normal crazy whiplash-inducing style because even she can comprehend the treasure in this car. I take Eren to the spare bedroom and lay her in bed before leaving Hanji to her aid while I go to shower.

While I’m in the shower, I can’t help but ache at the image of her laying there so bruised. I want nothing more than to pull her close and protect her forever. I intend to do just that as I get out of the shower.

I enter her room to find her still asleep and take a seat next to her bed, as much as I’d love to crawl in bed with her. I take note of every marred patch of skin visible, and allow my resolve to strengthen to help her. We stay there for hours as she rests, Hanji long gone for privacy.

When she stirs, I’m gently petting her hair, something I don’t remember doing. I don’t get a chance to pull my hand away before she sees it.

“Good evening angel,” I greet as I slowly pull my hand away, as if I hadn’t just been enjoying playing with her hair for hours.

She seems slightly put off by the pet name, but otherwise leaves it. “Good evening, Levi… is this what you meant by more security?” she lightly jibes at me. I don’t mind it, loving the way she smiles some and makes my heart flutter stupidly. I give her the smallest smile possible in return.

“Not really, but it’s a way of making me know that you’re actually okay… that you’re going to live…”

She still and quiets as she thinks over my words and I wonder if I’ve been too blunt with her, but I know it’s in my nature to be so. Not really a thing I can change too easily.

“Why do you care so much that I’m alive and well? You don’t really know me that well, we aren’t friends, and you’re even buying me… It can’t just be to give me my freedom for freedom’s sake. There are so many other girls there you could buy for less.” Sharp one, as always, my sweet angel. I chuckle a little at the adorable troubled pout on her face.

“Because you’re the only one that it pleases me to see happy. You’re the one who can smile like a star and it’s been my desire to get to know you for so long. It’s embarrassing how much I’ve wanted to speak to you, but never found the right time to. These events have given me that chance and I’m very grateful for it.” I know I’m being far too open with my feelings, if the feeling of vulnerability is anything to go by, but I know she needs to hear this as well.

“Why am I the one that you want to talk to? Especially after all of this? I’m nothing but a dirty orphaned, deserted, idiot whore who can’t do anything right!” Her indignation is showing pretty strongly, but I’m determined not to let these misconceptions continue on for any longer.

“If anything, that’s just a small portion of your past now. You’ve got the potential to be whatever you want and I want the best for you. I’ve seen how you are when you’re happy and hanging out with your friends and I’m inclined to believe that’s how you’d always be if not for these unfortunate circumstances around you. Stop putting yourself down and believing that that’s all you are, because you’re so much more and if it takes all of our lives to convince you, I will remind you every single day until we die.”

She stares at me with those beautiful green eyes like I’m insane, and maybe I am, but I return her gaze with just as much care as before. “What about now?” she asks as she bends forward and takes out contacts. She has an even more beautiful shade of green in one eye and an amber shade in the other which altogether takes my breath away.

“Beautiful!” I softly gasp out. She seems taken aback by my reaction.

“But it means I’m a freak of nature! That I’ve eaten a twin or that I’ve genetically mutated!” It’s my turn to give her a disbelieving look.

“Perhaps, but it’s still something I wouldn’t change about you. It’s one of the few beautiful things in this world, along with all that you are. You may have some bad parts about you, but they only enhance the rest of your features like putting a streak of dark red on your eyelids to enhance your eyes. It’s not a good color by itself, but when put with the surrounding, it’s pretty.” I rub the back of my neck, entirely out of my element with all of this comforting shit, hoping I wasn’t making it worse. She doesn’t get a chance to tell me if I’m doing any good, because Hanji comes in with two trays balanced on her arms like a goddamn magical butler, balance perfect.

“FOOD TIME~!” She sings a bit too happily for the tense, somber atmosphere of the room. She thoroughly ignores it and hands us the trays. “Eat all of it and then take the pill on the side of your tray; it’s the pain medication. Levi, dear~, when you’re both done, bring me the dishes!” She dances out of the room faster than we can react to her words.

I sigh and begin eating quietly, watching to make sure Eren actually eats her food. She obediently does so and we exchange no more words until I take her tray. A small mutter of thanks is all I get as I stand. She rests back against the pillows and prepares to sleep. “Of course. See you tomorrow then.”

I leave the room, sighing. I know this isn’t going to end well if she can’t realize her worth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any suggestions, go for it! I'll consider it.


	7. Beautiful Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up has never been this wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLUFFY CHAP!!! Because shit can hit the fan later.

As much as I try to sleep… it’s just not going to happen. Even with that pill they’ve given me… I close my eyes and he’s there. He’s coming to kill me and I just know this isn’t going to end well. I feel horrible and my stomach is less than happy with the decent food I ate earlier.

Over an hour later, I can’t stand all of it anymore and get up, carefully walking out of the room, looking for some fresh air. The house is dark so I have to feel my way around, unsure of my surroundings. I follow the scent of fresh air to a door slightly ajar. I pull it open a bit more, the creak alerting the person inside to my presence. I freeze on the spot, breath ceased, movement impossible, and panic rampant in my mind.

“Eren?” It’s that soft, velvety voice again, but this time, very concerned. I see his figure get up from the bed and can’t decide if I want to run away or stay put. By the time I’ve decided, he’s in front of me and already making my decision null. “Eren, are you okay? Do you need something?”

It takes me longer than I really like to breathe in and respond. “U-Umm…. A-air… fresh air…. I followed the smell…” Then I realize just how weird it is to say that when he chuckles softly. I can’t even be mad at him for it because the sound is so nice and calming.

“Then come sit with me. I was just relaxing before bed.” I’m cemented to my spot on the threshold of his room, unable to acquiesce to such a thing. He seems to notice the stiff posture a little too quickly. “I’m not like the others. I just want you to sit down with me and if you’re up to it, just talking about normal things, like classes and friends and shit.” There’s nothing to really lose at this point… and his parents should be home, so if I can get off one good scream they’ll probably come and stop him.

As I walk into the room, I notice there are no chairs… or furniture besides the bed in this room. It’s blank of everything except a closet door and a few photos on the wall. I think I’ve seen some of those kids in the picture with him at school. There’s one of Hanji and Erwin hugging a very disgruntled Levi. I don’t get a chance to look at the last one as he pats the bed. “Please, sit down and lay against the pillows. You’re not yet better.”

I almost can’t handle his kindness. There’s gotta be something else he wants out of this. I take the seat he offered warily. I can’t figure it out. Before I can be distracted by whatever topic Levi wants to bring up first, Nile’s voice cuts in. _Maybe he just wants to fuck you. After all, that’s all you’re good for. Maybe when he says ‘make you happy’ he means it the way I do. He is a man with needs, after all… and since he’s being so nice, you should **at least** get on your knees for him. Maybe he’ll be nicer than I am. He seems to be like that already… Just shut up and give him head already!_

As much as I’d love to just ignore the damn voice in my head, it’s too deeply ingrained and I find myself slinking down onto my knees in front of him before I’m even fully done listening to Nile. The look of disapproval he makes when I touch his knees with shaking hands almost has me undone. A look of disapproval means he’ll hurt me soon. He crosses his legs to block any access I had to him before and I know I’ve been completely rejected. He doesn’t want me at all! I have no clue what he could possibly want from me in return for all that he’s given me!

“Eren, as much as I’m sure you’re good with your mouth, I don’t want you doing that kind of thing anymore. I don’t want to have sex or be blown by a girl who doesn’t love me. Sex is something you do to procreate and to share intimate feelings with a partner. I am neither to you.”

I’m hurt deeper by his words than I should be. I know I’m nothing to him, but he’s been trying to convince me otherwise this whole time! What does he mean? His hand on my cheek startles me and I’m reeling backwards as much as possible. “Don’t cry… I’m not going to hurt you and you’re safe here, really… I promise you on my wings that all I want is for you to be happy and safe. Come on, come sit up here and talk with me.”

He must mean business if he’s promising his wings, but … what can I do? Should I honestly trust him? It doesn’t seem right, and yet I’ve taken his hand so he can help me onto the bed again. I’m starting to really notice the pain medicine now. I don’t want to move from this bed, but if I go back…

“I’m scared…” I eke out softly. “I’m scared to be alone… that he’ll get me if I’m alone…” The man looks at me with those sharp steely eyes softened by sadness and sympathy.  I want to get angry, but he seems so sincere…

“Then stay here tonight. I’ll even sleep at the foot of the bed if it’ll help.”  I’m not expecting that, for sure! I raise my hands weakly in protest.   
  
“I can’t steal your bed from you like that! You’re no dog that has to sleep at the foot of their master’s bed!” He blinks slowly, then shrugs.

“The floor?” he suggests. I have to gawk at him.

“Are you honestly a masochist? Is that why you’re saying all these things? Can’t we just… I don’t know…. Share the bed with a blanket between us or something?” His eyes light up a little too much at the suggestion, but one glance at his groin shows he’s got either control that no other man has or no boner. I can’t figure him out.

“If you’re okay with that, then I’d be fine with it.” I hesitantly nod and force my uncooperative limbs to move under the covers. His bed seems more comfortable than the guest bed, which is weird and pretty impossible considering how comfortable the guest bed is. I snuggle deeper into the soft material, unaware of the eyes on me. I look up to find him in front of his closet, changing into another outfit, comfortable-looking pants and a wife-be- tank top… Let’s call it a tank top and not assume he’s a wife-beating son of a-

The bed jostles and I’m looking over at him before my thoughts complete he’s sitting there with an extra sheet. He lifts up the other side of the blanket and stuffs it all along the length of the bed. “Better?” he asks softly. Why the hell is he actually being this considerate? 

“Yes. Good night.”

“Good night, my angel.” One of these days, he won’t insist upon calling me that…

*********

She’s in my bed…. Sleeping next to me…. With a damn sheet between us! How much luckier could I get? This is what I’ve wanted for so long it’s not even funny.  She’s right here! Calm down, Levi. You’re going to pop a boner just from too much rushing blood! Calm down. I take a few deep breaths and feel the excited tension ease out of me slowly. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to sleep tonight, but I’ll find a way. I settle for watching her fall asleep only to find she’s already asleep and peaceful again.

Before I can stop myself, I’m petting her hair and leaning a little closer to smell her shoulder… only to recoil. She hasn’t bathed properly in too long… Hanji will help her change that tomorrow while I wash my sheets. I remind myself that it’s not her fault she hasn’t been able to clean herself, it’s that snake Nile’s… Well, if he’s even able to move, he won’t be stupid enough to come bother her again; I made sure of that!

*************

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I awaken to the sound of a camera and the feeling of something warm pressed into me. I look down to see that Eren has jumped the sheets barrier and is absolutely balled up in my arms, her arms around my neck and legs intertwined with mine. I look over my shoulder to see where the camera sound came from, only to find my adoptive parents just standing there grinning like maniacs.

I send them the deadliest glare possible as a way of telling them to get the fuck out of my room while I’m still happily in my spot and she’s asleep, but they seem too stupid to do so. They snap another fucking picture… I’m beginning to think snapping a neck or two might be a good idea now.  “ _Out!”_ I hiss at them as quietly as possible. They’re gone before I can think up another way to tell them off. Obviously my voice told them the level of pissed I am at them.

I turn back around and snuggle into the wonderful woman in my arms, trying to shake off the bad mood those two idiots put me in. It works almost instantaneously. I pull her ever so slightly closer and play with her hair softly again, curling and uncurling it, slowly smoothing it to this side or that side, careful not to wake her.

It takes her an hour to wake, an hour of pure bliss. When she does wake, she’s adorable as fuck and I almost can’t contain myself. She fucking _trills_ like a little kitten stirred from a nap! _TRILLS!_ Like how does a human even do something so fucking adorable?! She stretches out, her limbs going stiff around me as she wakes. Her wonderful different colored eyes are still closed even as she disentangles herself and carefully sits up.  I stay put and observe her. She rubs at her eyes and then opens that pretty amber eye before revealing her emerald eye. She looks around sleepily for a moment longer before turning an eye onto me.

“Oh… you didn’t…” She sounds so confused, but I can’t help but find her so damn adorable as she makes that scrunched up face.

“I don’t know what I didn’t do, but I do know that I just slept beside you all night.” No need for her to know the truth. After all, for all I know, she’s the one that latched onto me and I just went along with it.

She nods and stretches again, giving me a good view of her body’s lines. As aroused as I should be, I’m too busy staring in awe of how she manages to look absolutely fucking perfect even with massive bedhead and a very loopy look on her face.

“Food?” I offer, knowing that if Hanji doesn’t have food made for some weird reason, I could whip something up quickly. And Eren doesn’t disappoint. She’s nodding at me like I’ve just told her the stars are edible. She’s so adorable when she has an appetite…. Fuck I’m a sappy ass bitch now… but I don’t think I mind if it’s for her. God that’s really sappy.

I shake my head to clear the thoughts and stand, stretching as well. I don’t miss how she looks at me and then looks away with a troubled face. I slowly offer a hand. “Do you feel well enough to walk with me, or do you want breakfast in bed?” Which would never happen unless it was you, considering how fucking crumby my bed is going to be if you take my offer.

“I’ll walk with you.” She doesn’t take my hand, but seems steady enough on her legs. I keep a sharp eye on her and the moment she wobbles, she’s in my arms again.

“I never asked you to fall for me, Eren~” I tease as I take her to the kitchen. Her blush is well worth it. She seems to have no retort. The table is set with empty plates and silver wear, but the stove has food being kept warm on it. I set her next to the counter to let her lean on it and bring her a plate from the table. “Fill it as much as you want. If you take it all, I don’t think anyone here would mind. You’re still really skinny.”

She looks hesitant to follow through with my instructions, but the moment her eyes hit the bacon, she’s both determined and excited. She ends up half-way through the things Hanji’s cooked – probably because we don’t know what Eren likes and want her to have whatever she wants – before her plate is full and she looks conflicted. I silently bring her another plate and take that one from her to set on the table. Her eyes light up in a way that pleases me immensely. She finishes grabbing her food and hobbles back to the table, the limp still concerning me greatly. She sits and looks to me for permission to gorge herself.

“Guests first,” I toss in and she’s instantly shoveling food into her mouth. It’s slightly gross, but her vigor and happiness is endearing. I pull out another plate before making my own and coming to sit across from her. As I begin eating, I realize that this is both Hanji and Erwin’s cooking, the way they make certain things being pretty distinct.

“Seems like those shitty parents decided to work together on breakfast this morning…” She stills some and looks at the food like it might be poisoned for a moment before deciding whatever poison was in there was well-worth it and continuing to dig in. She slows as she approaches her second plate and finally speaks.

“Sorry, I was just… really hungry… and this stuff is really good.” She looks so sheepish as she tries to explain to me that I am indeed right about her hunger.

“I’m glad our cooking pleases you,” Erwin’s voice softly breaks into the room as he walks in behind her. She whips around and looks terrified of the man, the words not seeming to register. She just sees him as a threat.

“Eren, don’t mind that stupid teddy bear that wears Captain America underwear. Continue eating.” It seems to work; she giggles and snorts as she tries to stop giggling, turning away from a mortified Erwin. I raise an eyebrow at him, silently challenging him to refute what I know is true. He slinks over to the coffee pot, looking much like a kicked puppy.

“Oh, and _Dad_ , I fully expect both pictures to be sent to me and then deleted from whatever devices you’ve got them on. That was an invasion of privacy and I don’t appreciate it… to the point I may flay you alive if it leaves the three of us.” He tenses and looks at me out of the corner of his eye.

“Hanji’s… already printed out a few dozen of them… and hid them all around her lab so she can look at them. Umm… I don’t know if we can stop it…” I sigh and decide I’ll deal with shitty glasses later.

“I’ll just burn the damn place down later…” I look up to realize Eren’s staring at me like I’m Satan. That’s when I also realize she’s been seeing me and my raging asshole mouth.

“Don’t mind Levi,” Erwin says as he comes over and leans his huge bulky ass body on my shoulders, making me slump some. “Despite his harsh language, he’s obviously a pushover.  Remember, he’s got a bad past, just like you. So sometimes he speaks a bit more harshly than he should, but he’d never actually hurt anyone in his family… and you’re family, now, if the fact that he’s buying your wings says anything.” I glare up at Erwin, slightly embarrassed, but grateful.

She nods hesitantly before eating again. Erwin leaves with his coffee as we finish our meal. “Want Hanji to help you shower?” I offer as I take the dishes from her. She seems reluctant, but a look at her skin and she’s nodding. “Stay here while I go get her.”

I go to Hanji’s lab and knock. I normally don’t care, but if I don’t knock on her lab door, she could be scary and kill me with the things she concocts in there. “Come in~!”

I walk in, careful not to step on anything. “Eren needs help with a shower… and I’d better have a digital copy of those pictures, Shitty glasses.” She nods and sets down the two petri dishes she was working with and turns around. “Got it.  I’ll be up in five~! Oh, and Aurou called… said you had something you two needed to talk about.” She gave me a dark look. “Don’t lose your wings… and don’t betray our trust either, Levi… Whatever you’re doing for her, don’t make it something she’ll be upset about. Get out as soon as possible and not a moment later, okay?”

“Yeah, I got it, Shitty glasses,” I say to her softly before turning to the door. “Eren’s in the kitchen, very full, and decently happy. I’ll be back in about an hour. That’s all this should take.”

“Be safe, Levi…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the things in here were inspired by an anon on Tumblr who fucking loves me and spoils me with headcanons of this story.


	8. Sometimes Life Just Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fuck life and all that it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mike's here! Also, don't kill me... This is the beginning of the last bit of true angst in this fic. There will be another more angsty chapter, but it's two or three chapters away. For now, don't worry about it~

 

It did not take an hour… If anything, it took seven hours… Seven long hours without Eren or knowing how she was. All seven hours were agony after having seen her happiness. I walk into my home, half-expecting a knife being thrown at me or a deafening screech. The fact that neither comes scares me.

“Hanji? Erwin?” I call, my nervousness making me use the more serious versions of their names. “Eren?” I call a bit louder. A loud scream pulls me deeper within the house and all I can think of is that that snake sent someone who could get past all of my defenses somehow.

I slam the door open to the room she’s staying in, gun pointed at whatever moves before I can comprehend what’s going on. Eren’s on the bed, that’s for sure, but she’s not being harmed? Those friends of hers are on either side with hands on her waist. Hanji and Erwin are standing in the corner, looking more than concerned at the merriment I’ve just interrupted with a gun. The silent room stays frozen while I take in everything before I quickly unload the gun and drop it to the floor.

“I’m sorry. I heard a scream and thought something bad was happening.” I turn to leave and let the happiness resume, but Erwin is the one that follows me and I know this won’t be good.

We silently walk down the hall to my room where I can at least be comfortable for the coming shit-storm. I have no warning before Erwin is frisking me, checking for more dangerous things. He knows my instincts wouldn’t let me just walk out of the room without at least one weapon for protection while doing shady things.

He seems overly surprised to find three more guns and at least twelve pocket knives. “Levi… Just what have you been getting into? Even for normal trafficking there shouldn’t be this many weapons…”

“Erwin… I’m buying her faster. I’ve…  moved into some of the more lucrative areas. The gang there didn’t like that so I’ve gotta be careful… But I haven’t killed anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about.” I can’t face him as I look at the assortment of items along my dresser.

“Levi… if you’re going this far… I’m afraid I can’t trust you anymore. We’re going to have to go back to step one. Strip.” I knew it would come to this, but it’s all worth it. I don’t hesitate to remove my shirt and hand it over to him to check more thoroughly. He won’t find anything tonight. I’ve got resolve this time; I’ve got something worth living for. He won’t find anything bad on me tonight. Not when I have Eren. 

I toss him my pants and boxers to inspect as he wishes, then wait for him to look my body over. I already know to spread my legs and arms, but the vulnerable stance still makes me uncomfortable. He checks my arms for holes closely and looks over the rest of my thoroughly, but respectfully. He’s a good man who doesn’t look at my body for his own pleasure and I respect him for that. He lets me put my clothing back on with a soft sigh. The hug afterwards is everything I wanted without saying. It shows me that he cares and that he’s grateful I didn’t use.

“I’ve got Eren now, Erwin… and I’m not going to fuck up with her.” It’s a soft sentence, but one that makes him feel infinitely better.

“Then let’s go see if you can have fun with her and her friends or if you killed the mood.”

When I enter the room again, this time it’s with a knock, permission granted, and no gun threatening people. I’m received much better this time. “Levi~! How’d that business thing go? No problems?” Hanji asks, the laced meaning not escaping me.

“It went well enough… Got some news that I’ll be expanding soon. Erwin can fill you in on the details; they’re boring and I won’t say them again. Eren, how are you feeling? Did the bath or shower help?” Eren seems pretty shocked that I’d ask about her day and something as tiny as her bath, but she smiles slightly at me, nonetheless and begins rambling on about how good of a bath it was.

“Oh, the day went really well! Mikasa and Armin were here the moment I finished dressing from the bath and they’ve kept me company ever since… but Levi, you didn’t tell me the bath would have bubbles and perfect water and it was so clean and if it weren’t for Hanji-san helping me clean myself, I probably could have slept in there for ages! It was wonderful!” I can’t help but slightly smile at her enthusiasm. She’s obviously still hurting, but the pain pills and her friends have taken some of the edge off and she seems a bit healthier already.

“Did you eat well at lunch? Have you already had dinner?” I don’t care that her friends are watching me and analyzing everything I say and do; right now, there is only Eren and I.

“I couldn’t eat much lunch because of how full I was from breakfast and we just finished dinner a bit ago. I was kinda hoping I could nap a little before I actually went to bed because the medicine makes me so sleepy.” She snuggled into her human cocoon again and I couldn’t help but smile at her. She was too cute.

“Well then, I’ll let you nap. Your friends can stay until about 9pm. It’ll be dangerous to leave much later than that.”

“Can’t we stay the night?” It’s Armin asking, Mikasa nods curtly, looking entirely too serious about it.

“Not tonight, I’m afraid,” Hanji intervenes before I can make an ass of myself. “We’re still not ready to let other people in our house while we sleep. You see, Erwin and I were once assaulted by friends of friends that we let stay over and so… We just… can’t let that happen yet.” Everyone hears the implied, ‘We don’t trust you enough yet’ in her voice and it hurts those two, I know it does, but this is the life we live. They agree reluctantly and I leave to go to  bed, just done with  this shit.

********************************

It’s another two weeks before Eren is healthy enough and ready to rejoin the working world. I don’t think she’s told her friends about her past yet and what she’s been doing. Hanji makes it abundantly clear that she’s always welcome here. I don’t see her too often, just at breakfast and sometimes dinner because I’m too busy stomping those idiotic ants who believe they can challenge me. I’ve made about half of what I need, right on schedule, but it still annoys me that she’s going back to that life soon. I’ve assigned Petra and Erd as her personal body guards. I haven’t heard anything about that snake yet and it worries me.

**********************************

I sniff the cloth given to me and I pick of the scent of lilac, grapes, and soft honeysuckle underneath the sweat, blood, and other human excretions. It’s a pleasing smell, to be sure. “Find her and bring her back to me. Be careful of the other people with her; they may be armed… and I’d like it if she just disappeared; no struggles so it takes longer for him to find her. You’re the best private detective there is so I’m trusting you to get her back in one piece, unharmed, got it? My fiancé has been through a lot and kidnapping her to get her back is the last thing I want to do, but she’s too nervous to come to me when she sees me because of them.”

I nod and turn, walking away to find this girl. I don’t really feel like this man is being honest with me, but I won’t turn down a request from the gang in the area if I can so help it. Them owing me a favor is always a good thing.

It takes a couple weeks of wandering around before I smell her scent and begin following it. She’s walking into a floral shop with a ginger-haired woman who smells like baked bread and poinsettias laced with a heavy gunpowder scent and a fairly tall man with a rich forest and motor oil scent. I follow them inside and wait for her to become separated some.

I walk up to her and point a gun at her side while wrapping an arm around her shoulders, my hand on her soft mouth. “Don’t scream. Come with me; I’ll take you somewhere safe.” She’s stiff, but the gun to her side makes her comply and we walk out of the store looking like a couple as I let me hand fall. I take her to my truck and set her in the caged off backseat with the childproof doors.

“It’s okay now. They can’t hurt you anymore. I’m taking you back to your fiancé. Get some sleep.” I wave some chloroform under her nose and open the windows as she passes out.

When I arrive back at the designated place, I take her in in my arms and set her gently on a bed in the small house. “Nile, she’s here,” I call as I walk around the house.

“Wonderful! Your payment is on the table in the kitchen. Go ahead and take it on your way out. I’m going to spend some time with my _Love~_ ” The way he says it sends a bad feeling down my spine, but I take my money and head for the door. I hesitate and make sure to leave the door unlocked. Something tells me I need to come back later and check on her. She looked like she was still recovering from some horrendous ordeal and if it was this man who did that to her… Well, I’ll return the money and the girl because that’s the right thing to do.

******************

When I come back a few hours later, like my nagging intuition tells me to, I can immediately sense that this isn’t at all his fiancé. The way she’s screaming has my overly-sensitive ears ringing so much that I almost couldn’t make out the words she was screaming.

“Levi! Help! Stop! I can’t! No! STOP!” I go in quietly and walk into one of the most gruesome scenes I’ve ever encountered. He’s raping her while choking her.  It looks like they’ve been at it for the entire time I’ve been gone if the bruises on her body are anything to go by. I don’t hesitate to shoot him. I aim for the head and hope she’s not too traumatized by this.

The man stops and falls over as the loud gun forces him to relinquish his life. The woman lays there, not moving, just trembling. I carefully walk over and toss the rat’s dead body away and gently set my jacket over her. “Where is home?” I ask softly.

“Levi’s” she responds quietly, eyes soulless and dull. I pick her up and she twitches, but doesn’t fight me. I figure I’ll find her home soon. I pause as a shiny device catches my eye. It gives off a faint scent of her so I pick it up. It’s going insane with the amount of texts and calls that are there. The most recurring name is Levi. I open the last missed call from him and call it. Less than one ring later, a man answers, snapping.

“EREN?! Eren where are you?! Are you okay?! What happened?! Please tell me you just wandered off and put your phone on silent!” I feel guilt eating away at my stomach. This is obviously her fiancé and that rat I killed was her abuser.

“I’m sorry. I have Eren right here. Tell me where to bring her and I will. A man named Nile paid me to kidnap her, saying it was his fiancé. I came back to check on them and I know now that he’s lied to me; that you’re her fiancé. I killed him… but I couldn’t protect her from him. I’m sorry, sir.”

The line is silent for so long I worry that he’s hung up, but the next moment a small sob reaches my ear and I know that I’ve ruined this poor woman’s life with my decision to take on this mission. I hear him croak out an address. “I’ll be there in twenty sir… If you have someone you trust, I’d have them look at her. I don’t think he’s harmed her too much.”

I take her to him, regretting what I’ve done so much. When I arrive, there are three people standing at the forefront and two with guns drawn at me. I recognize the two with guns are the ones I’ve abducted her from.  “I’m so sorry,” I start as I pull her from the back of my car, carrying her like the gem I know she is now. The three of them rush to me and the tiny man takes her from my arms, just as reverently as I hand her over.

“She was just starting to trust people again, too…” The woman says softly as the small man softly brushes her hair away.

“Let’s get her looked at.” The tall man says.

“Can I stay and protect her? I don’t like that I’ve handed her over to this man… I need to repent by making her as safe as possible.” The two bodyguard don’t look like they want me there, but the short one nods and everything seems to be okay now.

*******************************

I don’t leave her again. I don’t bother going to work on the drug deals I know I need to make to get the money to buy her freedom. I don’t dare leave her again. She’s so precious and I feel horrible for the fact that she’s been raped again by that monster. The detective – Mike – said that he killed the man raping her and reported it to the police, pulling strings to make it self-defense. Mike’s been let off for the murder charges and will be her bodyguard. If he could steal her from me, then he can stop others from doing so.

She hasn’t woken up in the four days since I got her back. I’ve barely eaten or slept since then, choosing to stay awake and by her side. When I do sleep it’s with my head on her bed, bent over in the chair. I need confirmation that she’s with me and safe. She seems to have less and less night terrors when I pet her hair and I make it a point to pet it constantly. I hope she wakes up soon as I stare at her lovely closed eyes.

Almost as if she wanted to grant my wish, her eyes flutter some and leave me breathless with hope. Her honey-colored eye opens first and looks around as a weak hand struggles up to the other one. I silently urge her on, hoping she has strength for even just that. She does. Her yawn excites me and makes me happy because it’s a sign of life and of returning energy. As she removes her hand, her eyes land on me and she stares.

“L-e-e-v-vi….” She gently croaks. I grab the glass of water I’ve had beside me for days, waiting for just this moment.

“Shh… Drink some water first. You’re safe now. Can I help you sit up so you can drink?” Her nod is small, but just what I want. I put an arm around her waist and carefully pull her up the bed, offering the glass to her lips. She sips at it at first and then is gulping it down as fast as I’ll let her. I make sure she doesn’t choke and gently set it down afterwards. “Better?” I ask, not bothering to remove my arm.

“Y-yes… I-is he… really-?” I can’t help but pull her into a hug.

“Yes, he is. I sent Erwin to make sure he was in the morgue. Confirmed dead and unable to hurt you anymore. Now… want some food? I’m sure Hanji could have some whipped up in a moment.” She looks so relieved and the way she leans into my chest tells me I’ve taken a huge weight off her shoulders.

“Yes, please.” Her smile is small, but it’s all I need.

“There we go. That’s my angel.” I look at the door. “Mike, get Hanji to make Eren some food.”

She’s stiff in my arms again, pulling back with a slightly betrayed look on her face. “Mike? Who’s that?”

“Mike is the man who took you and saved you by killing that man. He’s asked to repay the debt he owes you by protecting you. I could tell from the way he acted he was honestly sorry for doing it and he didn’t know that that man was trash. I’m giving him a second chance; you don’t have to if you don’t want to. If you want him gone, then that’ll be repayment enough, right?” She seems to think this over before nodding.

“I want more time to think on it.” I nod to her and let it go.

“How do you feel?” It’s a stupid question to ask a rape victim, but I can’t help but ask.

“Like I need to run around some. I’m really stiff… but nothing’s sore.”

“That’s good. He didn’t have much time to hurt you this time around. I’m still sorry that you had to be hurt at all. I promise you I’m trying my best to keep you from pain, but it seems I still have a long way to go. Please forgive me, Eren.” I gently clasp her hand and bow my head to her, pain filling my chest tightly.

“Don’t…. Don’t think that you’re not doing well. Yes, he got me, but you’re also trying really hard to give me a good life and I think that you’re doing a good job there… Please don’t feel bad.” I glance up to see that awkward look on her face and don’t feel as bad. I kiss her hand and pull back. Before much more can happen, Hanji is waltzing into the room, giving Eren a tray of food that’s probably too much for her. Mike comes in hesitantly behind her. Eren stares at him and the giant ducks his head in shame. It seems to be enough for her.

“Let’s keep him around,” she tells me softly below all of Hanji’s ramblings.

***********

She wants to go back to school the next day and I gladly let her. I walk with her and let her meet up with her friends. She’s so energetic with them and they envelope her with lots of love. I stay back and just watch, not wanting to put a damper on things.

“Levi? Why are you all the way back there? Are you waiting on someone?” I blink at her, confused at her odd request. I don’t understand why she wants me with her, but I’m not about to say no.

“Just lost in thought. Sorry.” I look to her other friends who seem hesitant, but unable to say anything against the girl’s wishes. I nod and walk with them. I don’t even notice I’m smiling at Eren’s antics until a bald kid stares and points.

“DUDE!!! Levi’s smiling! DUDE!!! EREN!!!! What’d you do to him?! He never smiles!!!” I glare at the boy and pray he shuts up. Eren grabs my hand and tugs me closer.

“I smiled~! When I smile, he smiles, right, Levi?” I can’t help the blush all over my face as I put my other hand over it. A small grunt leaves me and is the answer for them all. I can’t face any of them when Eren’s being so cute. I feel like a pervert for how much I enjoy her innocence and cute hand-holding, but indulge anyways.

We continue walking and she doesn’t let my hand go until we have to part for classes. I don’t know where the change came from, but I’m not bitching. The one I love seems to want to at least be closer to me; I really can’t complain at all… even if it is embarrassing as hell.

Just as I turn to go to my class, I catch the eye of the girl I put in control of the den. “Levi,” she greets with a nod.

I return the nod with a curt, “Annie…”

“I have a proposition for that deal we have. Would you like to talk alone during break?” I look at her for a long moment before shaking my head.

“If it’s about that deal, Eren should be there as well. Is that acceptable?” She nods.

“Roof, first break, come as quickly as possible.”  I nod to her and we separate. I don’t know what she wants to amend about the deal, but I can’t help but be apprehensive. If she raises the time or the price it could be a serious problem… and it’s within her right to as the new den leader to at least amend some things, especially since Eren hasn’t technically upheld her end of the deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, don't kill me. I finally killed Nile and brought big ol' Mike in~
> 
> Reviews are wonderful even if they're short, kudos are lovely, and bookmarks/subscribes let me know that people want this to continue for sure.


	9. This Is... Happiness?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout...

My boyfriend comes to pick me up the moment break starts! I’m so excited~ Levi says he wants to talk to me on the roof and I can’t help but wonder if he’ll want to make out again~ Ah! I’m so excited! I grab his hand and cuddle close as we walk and I just love the way he looks at me like I’m the most precious thing in the world.

As we arrive on the roof, Annie is there. I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed as this means Levi’s definitely not going to kiss me. He’s a romantic like I am so we have to do this kind of thing in private for   it to feel right. I squeeze his hand to make myself feel better about this sad turn of events.

“Here’s my proposal… After news of what happened… I want to end the deal as soon as possible. Eren helped me a lot back in the Den by taking pressure off of me and onto her so I propose you just hand over whatever you have accumulated and we seal this deal as done. The rest of the debt you owe can be paid off with either goodwill or the value of the den you handed over to me.”

What’s Annie talking about? I haven’t interacted with her much. I didn’t help her at all. And what’s this about a Den? And deal? Does Levi owe her something? What’s he gotten into now?  I’m very worried now. As I look at him, he’s looking to me for something.

“What’s this all about? Levi, did you get in some trouble, dear? Is Annie helping you out? Is there anything I can help with?” Both of them look at me now like I’ve said something weird. “Should I… just butt out? Will that help?”

“Eren… what happened to you five days ago?” Annie asks slowly. I don’t understand and scrunch up my face. Five days ago?

“Didn’t… yeah… I was mugged five days ago by a psycho on my way to the flower store and some police officer killed the man and brought me home.” The look of concern on their faces intensifies and I’m left feeling uneasy.   
“Eren… What do you remember about your parents and Levi?”

“My parents died in a car crash when I was thirteen and I lived with my aunt until someone killed her and then I moved in with Levi, my boyfriend. Annie, you should know all of this already. Everyone in my friend group knows this. You were all there with me during both funerals.” The silence is unbearable and I pull Levi closer, needing reassurance from him with how weird they’re both acting.

“Levi…” Annie starts slowly. It’s only then that I notice they’re saying a whole conversation with their eyes. I’m more than slightly concerned now.

“Annie, would you like to come over for dinner?” She nods and I feel even more lost.

“Come on, Eren, let’s go back to class. I’ll talk with Annie later. It’s not that important…” I feel like he’s lying to me, but Levi would never lie to me. I nod and nuzzle his chest before turning to go back in.

“Can we cuddle for a bit before break ends?” I ask as I walk down the stairs with him.  He nods and suddenly nothing said on that roof matters anymore. I have Levi and he’s going to cuddle all the bad away.

**********************

As I slowly sit down in Eren’s seat, I can’t help but feel both great and horrible all at once. It looks like she’s been so damaged by the events of late that she’s repressed them and began living the lie of a life  she’s told everyone else which is good because she’s happy, but I can’t help but wonder what that means for her mental health. Will it really be alright? Should I continue to follow along with it? Or will she hate me for not telling her the truth?

As she plops herself in my lap and laces her arms around my neck, I can’t help but damn the consequences just for the day and wait for Hanji to tell me what to do later. I want to cuddle the fuck out of Eren right now and that’s exactly what I do. I hold her tight and nuzzle my face into her neck, gently rubbing her back. She responds by hugging me back and kissing my neck gently.

“E-Eren, don’t kiss there!” I tell her, trying to get away.

“Why?” She’s so damn innocent right now and I’m terrified of telling her why, but at the same time, this can’t continue on.

“I-I… It’s a guy thing. Please stop.” She pulls back and looks me in the eye before smiling coyly.

“Ah, it’s because it’ll make you wanna do naughty things, isn’t it? I remember you loving it when I did it to you that night.” She’s whispering softly in my ear and I do my best to control my stupid body, but she’s too good at this. I don’t like that she thinks we’ve already gone that far when I wouldn’t do so without perfect assurances that she’d not get pregnant  or is at least married to me.

“E-Eren, please! Stop! I don’t want to deal with one of those in school!” She pouts but nods, pressing herself to me and cuddling cutely again.  I can’t handle it and pull away as I feel my nose begin to wet. “Shit! Eren, watch out. I’m getting a nosebleed.” She stands quickly, looking concerned, but ushers me towards the door and bathrooms. I go and let it bleed out over a sink in the boy’s bathroom and sigh. She’s not allowed to do this to me, but I can’t help it. She’s too cute and she will literally kill me with her cuteness.

I come back out to find her waiting beside the door for me. “Levi, are you better now?” I can only manage a nod without choking. She just has no fucking clue what she does to me, none whatsoever. She latches onto me again and we stand there smiling, not giving a fuck that the bell rang. I hold her until she’s ready to pull away and go back to class.

***************

We walk home with Annie and Eren’s suddenly decided she wants kisses… and she takes them as she wills. I have a hard time recovering my breath from the first peck and the second one nearly knocks me on my ass. She giggles at me like I’m the one acting outlandish. I work up the nerve and almost kiss her back to get back at her, but Annie clears her throat and reminds me that this may just be a temporary Eren who would later hate me for taking advantage of her like this. I pull back and nod.

When we get home I look to Eren. “Hey, can you go with Mike to grab some ice cream while Annie and I sort things out?” I can only hope that Eren doesn’t think of Mike as someone not in her life.

“Oh, right, the detective that saved me. He’s still sticking around out of guilt, isn’t he? I’ll see if I can’t help him get over it and go back to his normal life. I’ll convince him while we walk!” I hand her bit of cash and thank the stars. Hanji doesn’t get a chance to talk to Eren before I have her and Mike out the front door.

“Shitty glasses, get Eyebrows and let’s talk at the table. There’s something wrong with Eren.”

After the explanation of this morning, the two of them frown at each other.

“I thought she was getting back into the swing of things too well for a girl with so much trauma… This could be a permanent thing in which case playing along might be helpful to her, but might be exhausting on you. It could also just be a temporary coping method that she has taken to and once her mind can sort things out, she’ll come out of it and need a lot of help. I think it’d be best if she stayed oblivious, though, but if she does remember, then I bet she’ll need you there as much as possible since obviously her mind trusts you pretty explicitly to put you as her boyfriend.”

I nod, afraid that that would be what she would say. I look at Annie. “I’m going to have to take you up on that offer now. There’s no way Eren’s going to go back to doing that kind of thing when she doesn’t even have memories of it.” She nods and stands.

“Deliver the money as soon as you can then.” I nod and slump against the table.

“I’ll have her wings tattooed soon,” I mutter and burry my head in my hands, letting the cold of the table seep through my hands slowly. It takes me a long time before I can face everyone. The only one left in the room is Erwin by now.

“I don’t know what she’s imagined has happened between you two, but I think that you’d best be sure to keep things between you as close to innocent as possible for at least another year. For all we know, sex could be a trigger and that would be horrible for both of you. If a year passes by, we can presume it will probably be a permanent thing… But I won’t beat around the bush, Levi, be sure to really show yourself to her. We don’t know when this ignorance she’s in will end and if she can feel really secure in who you are in both situations, it may help with any aftermath… And, as always, Hanji and I will continue to support you however we can.”

I look at that big man for a long moment, taking in his overly-fond, yet serious expression and know he means every word. He wants to help me out and he wants things between Eren and me to be perfect. Slowly, I nod, and the pat on the back he gives me is firm, completely reassuring and just what I need in this shitty moment. I can feel us getting closer, just as we did the first time he held me through that withdrawal hallucination for hours on end.

I sigh as Eren comes back in and slowly smile at her.

“Oh, where’s Annie? Did she not stay for dinner after all?” Her doe eyes shine brightly with a lively vibrancy that I’ve missed so much. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her this happy.

“No, she got a call and had to run. What type of ice cream did you get?” I ask as I stand to help her put it away.

“That’s too bad,” she starts, but I can tell she’s secretly pleased by the way she smiles even brighter while speaking. “But I got chocolate chip cookie dough and rocky road! Perfect ice cream for a movie~!”

I want to question her movie idea, but leave it for enjoying the moment instead. As both Hanji and Erwin said, this may be a very temporary thing and I don’t want to miss out on any of it if I can help it.

Later that night as we do sit in the living room watching some silly rom-com she chose, I feel it’s time I ask her the question that’s been during on my mind.

“Eren, you know that tattoo on your chest,” I begin, giving her time to air what her mind has put up for it.

“Ah, the unicorn crest I got while drunk with Ymir and Reiner? What about it?” I have all of her attention and it takes everything I have not to clutch her close and adore her when she’s so cute like this. I push through it, though, for her sake.

“I was thinking… Why don’t we get it altered? We could… make it match mine…” I wait with baited breath, hoping she’ll take the idea well.

“Oh! Really?! You’d be fine with that? I know you said it has a lot of meaning to you…” I can’t help but smile at that tentative look on her face, but to also feel slightly worried. I know the real Eren wouldn’t think this deeply into something she was excited about.

“Well, you have a lot of meaning to me, too, and I think it’d be fine if you wanted to alter that tattoo to match mine.” I nuzzle her neck and hope it distracts her enough to say yes.

“But why not just get it elsewhere where there’s no ink?” There’s no helping me now.

“Because I want to make sure that your body isn’t someone else’s. This’ll be your decision… and my mark if you want it there. I want to be your freedom from anything bad, even a tattoo you got while drunk.” From the way she clutches at my shirt and pulls me tighter, I can tell letting my passion grab hold just this once worked out well.

“Of course! Levi, _of course_ I’ll take your mark! I’m freest with you anyways. Of course! When can we go?”

She pulls back and pecks my lips gently, nearly making me unable to answer.

“Um… Once I call the guy who did mine. I trust him with my body… and I’ll trust him with yours.” The smile she’d been giving me turns to a devious little smirk and something drops in my stomach; I can’t tell if it’s good or not, but her words tell me I’ve stepped into dangerous territory.

“Well~ You treat my body pretty well so I think I can trust you this time… But I think we should abandon the couch for a bed instead~!” I ignore the pooling blood as best as possible and gently push her to sit down on the couch, not my lap. _When did she even end up there?_

“Eren, you know that I care for you… but to be honest… I don’t think we should do that again for some time. I-I’m just… I’m really worried that you might get pregnant or something and I don’t want to ruin your future like that. Will you wait… a year? I think I’ll feel better if we wait about a year. I’ll be in a better place to provide for you if that happens and we’ll both be more mature and our relationship will be deeper and-“ Her lips cut me off and I let them for a long moment, just basking in what I had thought would forever be a dream months ago.

“Levi, you’re really cute when you get nervous, but please… I won’t be upset if you don’t want to do anything that will get me pregnant… but I don’t know if I can promise to not do _anything_ with you… You’re my boyfriend, my first, after all… and you were so gentle and kind… and I don’t think you’d do anything to endanger me. So… maybe we should stick to oral or things like that?” I try my best to control myself as my mind fills in the images she’s not so descriptively describing with perfect detail.

“I-I don’t know, Eren… I’m not sure if-if we’d just stop at those things… What if we mess up and end up going further and making a mess of things? Give me some time to think it over, okay?” Her pout almost makes me give in, but the thought of triggering her strengthens my resolve enough.

“Can we share a bed then? I don’t want to leave you, not even for sleep.” I know my silence tells her I’m close to giving in, but it’s those cute eyes and pouting lips that do me in.

“Let me ask Erwin and Hanji. After all, this is still their place. If they say no, don’t pout over it, just accept it, okay?” I pet her hair as incentive to listen. She responds just as I want her to, a nod and a beaming, beautiful smile.

“Go ask while I put up the ice cream!” She bounces away and it’s all very disorienting for me. I stand, nonetheless, and make my way to Erwin’s study. A small knock and he’s inviting me in with a soft “Yes?”

“Eren wants to share a bed tonight and promises nothing sexual will happen. Is it okay?”

Without batting an eyelash, he nods concisely. “Just be careful. She might have nightmares and might get violent.”

I nod and turn to leave.  “And Levi… let this be a sign of how much I trust you to be the mature man I’ve tried to make you.”

“I won’t let you be disappointed, Erwin… I’m too grateful.” I leave him and find Eren standing at the end of the hall with a pillow and blanket with her. She’s entirely too innocent and cute for the conversation that we’d just had.

“Idiot, you’re supposed to dress in bed clothing before coming out like that. Go try again.” She grins like the sun again, nods, and runs off to change, dropping her blanket and pillow on the spot. A tired sigh is pulled from me as I clean up after the reckless girl, bring the blanket and pillow to my room to arrange them on my bed.

She arrives in what has to be illegally cute shorts and a tank top. I look away and take a deep breath, but it’s no use. I feel warmth trailing down from my nose again and rush to the bathroom. Her giggling tells me she’s doing this on purpose. _Seriously! Where did we get fucking short shorts with hearts and bears and a tiny pink tank top like that?! Did she always have that? FUCK! I don’t know if I’ll get to sleep with her being that damn cute!_

Eren comes in and rubs my back slowly and it calms me down some. I try to look only at her face, but honestly, it’s too cute. I sigh deeply and accept that I’ll die of anemia before hugging her tightly and pulling her towards the bed. “Come on you. Let’s go to sleep.”

“Just don’t bleed all over me in my sleep, okay?” Her giggle is sweet and uninhibited and I love it.

“I’ll try. If I do, I’ll be sure to give you the shower first, okay?” Her smile assures me she wouldn’t care either way.

“Alright, Levi.” She climbs into my bed with me and pulls me flush to her body before nuzzling into her pillow happily. Slowly, ever so slowly, I let sleep claim me and the last thing I think before I succumb is simple. _Please let this happiness continue._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you all know, I write to relax, to push out emotions I can't release any other way, or to distract me from stupid decisions. My world in here seems odd with weird valuations, things that don't make sense, and things that may not fit into your own mindscape. I admit I'm only a level 5 writer and honestly, if my writing isn't satisfactory to you, please kindly leave me alone. I know you can't possibly know this, but I'm a hugely introspective person and one of the reasons I have a hard time writing often is because I analyze everything I write, put it back through the lens of 'where in me did this come from' and then see how I, as a person can get better from what I'm writing, and THEN look at it from how I can improve as a writer. Often I won't want to write on a certain story until I break through those layers. It's not a fun thing for you, but it's what helps me.
> 
> That being said, if it's something that would help my writing like "This sentence right here is awkward" then that helps. Telling me that my plot isn't realistic (this is fiction btw) or that the numbers I use (which might actually be a measure in this AU that's acceptable) is wrong and stupid isn't going to help me any. You think I don't know any of this? You think I think anyone would pay more for a single person of such a low social standing than they would a start-up company? Of course not, I'm a finance major. Putting this story on here is my way of letting others who may like it, enjoy what's in my mind. 
> 
> TL;DR: Hate can leave and I'll just continue posting what I post for my own personal enjoyment, regardless of anyone else.


	10. Wings and More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets her wings and little something more~!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lord... Eren's free now, but something else will come that'll shock you all! (perhaps)

A week has passed since Eren lost her memories and just yesterday Aurou delivered the remaining money to Annie. I stare at the text she sent me with a trembling body, ready to toss everything down and snatch Eren from class.

**Female Titan:** _You can go get her wings now. I’ve told Pixis she’s free._

Eren can finally get her wings and her obligation to that past she hates so much she repressed can finally be severed. It takes everything in me to refrain from rushing to her, but instead just sending her a text.

**To Eren:** _After school today, we’re going to get your tattoo fixed. Be prepared to leave the moment class ends. We can’t be late._

I know we don’t actually have an appointment, but I just have to get that fucking brand off of her. She belongs to no one, not even me, and I can’t stand for her to be marked as someone’s belongings like that. My phone gives a small vibration and I glance down at it, ignoring the dirty glare the teacher’s sending me.

**Eren:** _Okay~! <3 I’ll be ready!_

I’m sure the people who witness my smile are still shocked and weirded out by the gesture, but I don’t care. My Eren is so adorable and cute that no one can resist her charm. I put my phone away and watch the clock as it slows down and the teacher becomes more monotone and boring than before. It slowly occurs to me that I may not pass if I don’t start doing my homework soon. Then I wonder if Eren’s doing her homework because honestly, when has this girl ever done any in front of me? I make a mental note to start doing our homework together after school as the clock inches closer to letting me out.

After an eternity that can only come from staring at the damn time-keeping device, the bell rings and I zip out of my seat, uncaring that the teacher calls after me. Eren’s right where she should be, waiting outside her classroom.

“Levi!” she calls ecstatically as she rushes to meet me. The kiss she gives me makes me even happier to see her. “Are we really going to go get that?! How far is the place?” Her exuberance never ceases to amaze me and I find myself wishing she’d never remember her past.

“It’s not very far, but we should hurry. He’s got a tight schedule.” She only smiles at me with that shining grin and pulls me along to the entrance of the school, waving and acknowledging all of her friends along the way. I take the lead as we reach the gates of the school and hold her hand as we walk briskly. The small squeeze she gives in response tells me she’s happy she didn’t have to prompt me this time.

It doesn’t take forever to get to where we want to be, but she’s very nervous as we enter the bad side of town, even more so as people begin looking at her with those eyes I could gouge out at any moment. I pull her flush to me and place her on my left side to show everyone around here that she’s not available and her response is to relax into me again, no longer worried for her safety. It makes me feel better about all of my previous failings to protect her.

I don’t let her go even as we walk into the building where I know she’ll finally get her wings, where she’s very safe. The receptionist is a short lady with glasses and a scowl that doesn’t lighten up at all as she sees us. “Levi, I see Pixis was right, you would be here right after school. Keith will be with you in a moment. Take a seat and he’ll call for you two.”

I nod at her and lead Eren to a seat, allowing her to choose my lap as her seat, since that’s obviously her favorite place. “Levi,” she starts quietly, whispering into my ear, despite how much it stirs me up. Her tone thankfully counteracts any arousal I’d otherwise feel at the breath on such a sensitive place. “Why is this place in such a bad part of town? Why does that woman look like she’s going to murder anyone who gets too close?” She trembles slightly in my lap and I can’t help but feel bad for making her feel anything but happy and secure.

I gently pet her hair and rub her back to soothe her some. “This man is very talented and all types come to him for tattoos, often times not that great of a clientele. He had to choose a place where the majority of his customers felt comfortable being which just so happens to be this side of town. Don’t worry, though, he’s a decent guy who’d never harm you and he’s really protective of women. The woman at the desk is probably just having a bad day, so don’t hold it against her. Now, relax. I’m right here with you, okay?” She nods and does just as I tell her, leaning a bit more heavily on me as she calms.

All of that progress is ruined as the door slams open and the intense man that is Keith Shadis stands there shouting, “LEVI! MY BOY!!! YOU’RE FINALLY BACK WITH A WOMAN!!! GETCHYER ASS IN HERE! ON THE DOUBLE!!!”

The small squeak Eren makes breaks my heart and I pull her closer, not moving. “Keith, you filthy piece of shit, shut up before I pull those vocal chords from your throat and watch you bleed out! You’re not using the proper respect for my woman and I’m inclined to watch your choke on your own shit at this point if you don’t shape the fuck up!” I hiss at him sharply. Eren’s quivering in my lap and I can’t help but wonder if I’ve scared her with this portion of me. I’m unable to really regret it, though, as it is part of me and I can’t hide myself from her forever.

Keith’s back straightens up and the man takes a step back, hands up in defeat. “S-Sorry, Levi... I overstepped my bounds and forgot my position. If the Misses would allow it, may I try again?” His entire demeanor and voice is small now, much akin to a trembling dog, ready to do anything to appease its angered master, as it should be.

Eren peeks out with her emerald eye and notices the submission. Her meek nod tells me to give this man another chance to try again. My nod tells him I’m allowing it. He backs up, closes the door and opens it again.

“Ah, Levi, my boy, you’ve finally brought a woman to show of-“

“Try again,” I snap at the man, still not liking how he’s treating Eren.

He backs up, closes the door, and reopens it again. “Ah, Levi, thanks for coming by today. It’s an honor to meet the woman you’ve gotten close with!” I nod and gently nudge Eren up.

“Yes, it is an honor for you. This is my angel, Eren, and you will treat her with the utmost care and respect or I will not hesitate to dissect you. I’m giving you the privilege of seeing my woman’s chest and marking on it, so you’d best understand the level of trust I’m bestowing upon you. _Are we **clear** , Shadis?”_ The man gave a small tremble in fear and nodded, saluting me and then bowing to Eren.

“I’ll take this honor and treat it with the reverence and care that is required. Thank you, Heichou.”

I nod at him and look to Eren who looks at me in confusion, slight fear, and hesitance. I give her a small reassuring smile and hope it calms her. It does the trick, that bright smile is back and she’s all too happy.

“Levi! When did you get to be so commanding?! You even have this older man bowing to you! What’d you do? Kill a mafia boss and take over or something?!” She bursts into giggles, not realizing just how close to the truth she is. Everyone in the room stares at her nervously, unsure if they should confirm her joking suspicion or not. I shake my head and lead her forward.

“Let’s get you that tattoo now.”

******************

As she sits in the sterile seat, I can’t help but feel both embarrassed and jealous as she begins removing her clothing to show her old crest. I fight myself to keep from yanking the clothing back on so she’s not revealing herself to this other man. He helps me by not ogling her chest, but respectfully looking away until she’s done. He then lays some sterile paper over her nipple and the parts of her chest he doesn’t need. I watch as he prepares the needles and ink in the most sanitary way possible, gloves on the entire time. When the time comes for him to ink my love, she grabs my hand for support and I stand right by her head, petting it gently with my other hand.

The buzzing is loud in the silent room, yet her whimper seems even louder to me. She admirably doesn’t move as she takes in the pain of the needle against her skinny chest. I know she probably needed to have more fat on her to make this less painful, but we needed to get this done ASAP. About halfway through, he’s reaching the bony ribbed area instead of her breast tissue and small tears escape her. I lean down to whisper soft nothings and encouragement into her ears and she calms, taking comfort from my silly words. Keith surely hears them, yet wisely acts as if he doesn’t.

Well over an hour later and the tattoo is done. It looks wonderful and not even a small smidge of the old tattoo is left. I kiss her gently on the lips as Keith applies a bandage to the fresh tattoo, a gel on the patch to keep the tattoo from sticking. “There we are, my best rendition yet. Your angel surely has the best wings out of anyone else,” Keith announces softly.

“Well, you did take three times the normal time on them, so I believe you. Thanks, Keith. Come on, Eren, we need to get home before those two old coots begin worrying about us eloping or something else stupid like that.” The little woman I’ve fall for laughs and pecks me on the cheek.

“Silly! Of course we wouldn’t elope! No one is against our love so we have no need!” Just as we’re about to leave, Keith stops us one last time.

“Levi, I don’t wanna see you back here or hear your name until you’ve got a child for me to emblazon, okay? You worked hard to be outta here, so don’t come back.” I nod to the stern man, both of us acutely aware of what I’ve done to get here. Eren just looks between us in confusion and I don’t explain it to her.

**************************

It’s been well over a month since Levi gave me his wings! They’ve healed nicely and they really do look lovely. I’m actually kinda sad that I can’t show them off without showing off my chest, but I don’t mind because it also makes it all the more private and it’s over my heart so I can’t complain too much!

Well... there is one thing in general I can complain about and that’s the stomach bug I’ve come down with this past week. It’s really weird because I only get sick at certain food smells and it can come out of nowhere. I don’t feel bad at any other time in the day, just when the urge hits me suddenly. I plan on talking to Hanji about it after school today and seeing if she can help me come up with something to combat it or maybe a medicine that makes it better.

But first, I have to shake Mike. He’s always there when Levi isn’t. Today Levi said he had to go meet up with his friends after school and discuss some project that they had for class. He looked so upset at having to leave me, but mentioned that he wouldn’t be able to focus if I was there because I’m too dazzling. He's such a silly man!

I never could convince this detective to leave and go back to his own life and right now it’s really bothering me. He’s standing there behind me even as I stand at Hanji’s door in our own house. “Listen, Mike, I don’t mean to be rude, but could you please leave me alone for a little bit? I’d like to talk to Hanji about some things... _Lady_ things.” He stands there, indecisive, but eventually backs off.

“I’ll just stand out here then. Call if you need help.” I roll my eyes at him. Why would I need help in my own house? Whatever. I knock on the door and Hanji’s loud voice echoes, “COME IN!!!”

I walk into a room full of utter chaos and it scares me to a degree, after all, something could come up and eat me from those piles of _stuff_. “Oh, Eren! How wonderful to see you! To what do I owe this visit?!” She embraces me and it takes a few minutes for her to release me and let me breathe properly before I can speak and answer her.

“Well, I was wondering if you could help me out with this obnoxious stomach virus I’ve got. I’m throwing up at certain smells and at really weird times, but otherwise feeling fine. It is a stomach bug, right?”

She rubs her chin as she spins in her chair, thinking. “Well!” she says, suddenly stopping and slamming her hands on her work desk in that wild Hanji manner. “Are you experiencing mood swings?”

I think back for a moment on the week and how my mood was. I’ve been kind of irritable and clingy, sometimes both at once, sometimes back to back. “Yeah, a bit, but I’m due for a period any da-“ Something clicks into place and my eyes goes wide.

“Hanji! Do you think-... Levi and I- we.... Hanji! I think I... I might need a pregnancy test!” Hanji just stares at me blankly for a moment, processing what I’ve said before a look of indignant anger rushes to her face.

“That little short asshole!!! We told him not to-“ She stops and stares at me for a moment before sighing and rubbing her neck as her anger drains. “I’ll go grab one of the ones Erwin and I stocked up on when we were still trying to have our own children. Just wait here.” She leaves and comes back very quickly. I’ve had no time to determine how I feel about this. After all, I’m pregnant at a very young age, but Levi... Levi’s the one to give me this child. By the time I’ve taken the test and await its results, I’ve made up my mind to keep it and raise it as best I can because it’s Levi’s baby.

Hanji and I stare at the stick with baited breath as the results slowly fade onto the screen. There are two bars. I’m not sure what it means, but the gasp Hanji’s giving me tells me it must mean I am pregnant.

“Eren! It’s positive! It’s positive! I can’t kill Levi now, but it’s positive!” She’s jumping up and down, but I’m remaining calm. A smile is all I can muster as I place my hands protectively over my growing child. “Let’s go make you some more food! You’re going to need it if you’ve got a kid in ther- Do you want to keep it?” She asked in a suddenly very calm and serious manner.

I stare into her eyes with the determination of all the mothers before me. “ ** _YES!_** ” Hanji returns to smiling and jumping about as she pulls me to the dining room before rushing to make something in the kitchen.

“Anything you want in particular?” she asks as Mike resumes his spot behind me. He seems even more closely stuck to me than before.

“Anything that doesn’t contain eggs. Those are making me sick right now.” She nods and begins cooking like crazy. I enjoy the silence happily, calmly stroking my stomach in my own little world.

**************************

I come into the house quietly after that meeting, tired and wanting to recharge with Eren. Mike motions to the dining room and I walk in on Eren gently rubbing her belly, looking content and pleased with the world as her eyelids hide those perfect eyes from me. She must have just finished a good meal.

I silently sneak up behind her and set my hands upon her shoulders as I let my breath caress her ear much as her hand caresses her stomach. “Did you have something good to eat just now?” She jumps some and turns in her chair to stare at me with such elation I can’t begin to comprehend how she gets that much happiness from just me arriving.

She’s up and out of her chair and sending up toppling to the floor before I have a chance to understand what’s happening. “Levi! Levi! Levi! Guess what!!!” she quickly chirps at me. It takes everything in me not to have another nose bleed at her cuteness.

“What?” I ask her as I nuzzle her nose, content to lay on this unclean floor with her.

“I’m pregnant!” she ever so happily exclaims. Her words don’t even really reach me as I respond back with a smile, staring into those glowing eyes of hers.

“Wonderful!” She squeals happily as she buries her head into my chest in excitement.

“I’m so glad you’re not upset! I know you wanted to wait a year before we even considered this, but it seems like that one night was all it took! I promise, though, that you and your child will be so freaking happy, regardless of the financial situation we might land in!” I smile at her until her words really sink in.

My arms still and fall slack on her back as I grow quiet, my face plummeting, much like my shattering heart. _There’s no way it’s mine. We’ve never had sex, despite what she thinks._ “Levi?” she asks, concerned by my reaction. I stare into those eyes I love so much as the realization hits me that she’s pregnant with her abuser’s child. _If she remembered her past, she’d be begging for an abortion right now, I’m sure._

“I-I’m okay... I just... being a f-father’s a-a lot to take in at once.” I try to reassure her and pull her face back to my chest as I wish I could calm my beating broken heart. “I-I just need to talk to E-Erwin about this... I don’t know what I’m doing... S-sit back down a-and I’ll be back after I talk with him, okay?”

She looks upset, but acquiesces to my wants, understanding that I need time to process this. In reality, I need advice on how to deal with this monstrous mess we’ve just entered. I leave her to Mike’s capable protection and search for Erwin. We need to have a serious discussion on whether or not to allow Eren to have this child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dodges tomatoes* Yup! That's Nile's kid! Sorry, not sorry!


	11. A Happy Mommy Makes For A Happy Baby! ...Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter in which Levi comes to terms with the baby....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back after such a long hiatus~! Yeah, I had all kinds of drama happen around the last time I posted. Ya know, like college finals and graduation, moving out, moving cross country twice (each time over 2000 miles), and then a few shitty jobs that worked me to the bone.... Until we arrive at this place in life: 24 with a damn good job with superb work-life balance, a new (pre-owned) car, and a stable living situation at last! 
> 
> So yeah.... I'm continuing this one.... because Eren deserves to be happy dammit!
> 
> As always, I'm sure there's errors. I don't have a beta-reader and I've come to the place in life where I'm writing for the hell of it so if it has errors, well... sorry they bother you.

I wonder if Levi’s really okay with having a child or if he’s having second thoughts. Before I can really delve too deeply into his reaction, Hanji has food in front of me and Mike’s put me back in my seat like I’m a ragdoll. I want to protest this on some level, but that food looks absolutely wonderful! I let my worries slip away as I begin digging in. Hanji seems perfectly content watching me fill up on her food, nurturing Levi’s child with every bite. The thought increases my hunger and I can’t wait to watch my belly expand with his child. 

As my mind begins to fill with blissful thoughts of a round belly, Hanji interrupts. “Now, you should be careful with your body now that it’s being used by you and a very vulnerable child. Try to be active, but avoid anything too strenuous. Maybe some yoga or pilates? Oh and watch what you put in your body now! Certain medicines like over the counter pain pills may not be good for your child!”

“Really? Over the counters could be?” It occurs to me that I know nothing about taking care of a child or how much I need to do or avoid for it. Fear begins to creep into my system even as my love for the being inside me increases. “So-So... could we get some books on this or...?” 

Hanji smiles and pulls me into a gentle hug, her voice soft for once. “Yes, we can get you some books for sure. A doctor’s appointment, too, while we’re at it to make sure everything’s going well and get a note for school so you can be excused from things in gym or art class or chemistry... Anything that you might inhale or have happen that could hurt the baby you’ll need excused from.” 

I slowly begin thinking about that. How would I explain this to my friends? They all know about Levi and I, but Mikasa and Armin would be disappointed in me for not using protection... But they’d never forsake the baby I bet! I’m not so sure about everyone else. It isn’t long before I decide that they are the only two I’m telling about this child until it’s too late to hide it anymore. That’ll give me time to prepare to lose the rest of them in the worst case scenario. 

I’m pulled from my thoughts by shaky hands coming around me from behind and pulling me flush with the back of the chair and a warm chest. A soft shaky breath is at my ears as my love searches for words. When he does speak, it’s soft and kind of shaky. “Eren... Let’s go lay down.” I don’t even have to look at him to know he’s terrified of this, but the way he tenderly holds me tells me he isn’t giving me up. I walk with Levi to our room and we climb into bed fully dressed at his insistence. 

“Tell me, Eren, what are your real feelings about this child.... I don’t want to force you to have a child you don’t want. In fact, I don’t want to do anything you don’t. If you don’t want the child, we’ll go right now and get rid of it and have another when we’re ready. If you want to keep it, then I’ll decide right here and now to love it and raise it to the best of my ability. Whatever you want, Eren.” The way he’s looking right into my eyes, tears just barely in his own tells me how serious he is about this. He’s withholding judgement and feelings for me and letting me choose for him. He respects me that much.

I smile softly at him, my mind fully made up already. “Levi, to be honest, if this were any other man’s child, I would go to a clinic right this very moment because I know babies are a huge responsibility and that this will be hard on us, but it’s your child, Levi, and I could never do anything but love your child, want to raise it, want to give it my all. So I want you to love it and cherish it as much as I already do. After all, it’s the product of our love for each other.” The look in his eyes is a pained one that he immediately hides from me by nuzzling my neck, trailing down my body to my stomach. He shivers as a warm wet sensation comes through my shirt. 

Levi is crying on my stomach for some reason, even as he grabs me and pulls me closer. “I’ll love it. I’ll love this baby so damn much, Eren! I’ll make it and you so damn happy, so damn happy...” he trails off, trembling and sobbing now. I don’t really understand why he sounds so sad even as he says things that sound happy, but I go along with it. When he looks up at me, he cries with such a beautifully broken smile and I can’t understand what’s wrong at all. 

“Levi? What’s wrong?” He shakes his head and pulls me close. My love holds me, sobbing until he finally falls asleep, my questions unanswered. 

***********************

I notice it as the week wears on. Everyone at home gives me a very mixed melancholy smile whenever they see me. No one seems truly happy anymore and it bothers me that the baby seems to be the cause of it. If I talk happily about it, they all seem slightly pained, as if there’s something they know that I don’t. It bothers me and something nags at the back of my mind about it. Even Levi has become odd. He’s both closer and further than ever before. He clings to me like I’ll fade away or crumble, but won’t open up to me anymore about anything and it concerns me greatly. I write my feelings down in a journal to really let them go since there’s no one I can talk to here that doesn’t make that face anymore and leave it where I hope he’ll find it. 

*************************

I walk into our bedroom to grab Eren’s towel for her while she bathes and notice a notebook on the bed. I grab it and look in it to see which subject she was studying before she went to bathe only to find a journal entry on the first page. 

_ I’m worried about everyone around me here at this home. I have a feeling they don’t want the baby or me anymore. They all look so sad whenever they look at me and I can’t stand it! The first day we found out, Hanji looked so happy, but now even she’s subdued and sad-looking. Did I choose wrong by choosing  to have the baby? Will it come between Levi and I? I don’t want that to happen. I want to be by Levi’s side no matter what... but if this child is a problem for him... I’m not sure I could give it up for him. I want him to want our child as well, but he’s so upset by it. What can I possibly do? I feel alienated in my own home now and I hate it. Why can’t he just love our child? _

I stare at the entry and push down the terror rising in my gut. I won’t lose her to some other man’s child even if it rips me apart to raise and love it like she wants me to do. I don’t want to raise that man’s child, but she’s convinced it’s mine and wants to have it. I’ll have to go through with it regardless of what I want. I swallow hard, pushing down all of my hatred and try to shape up, for her. 

I grab her towel and hang it on the outside of the doorknob to the bathroom. “There you go, angel, your towel.” 

“Thank you!” she trills happily back at me and I’m reminded why I’m going through this instead of telling her. I want her happy and if believing she and I are having a child will make her happy, then I’ll pretend for all eternity. Who knows? Maybe someday we will have our own little snot-nosed brats running around. 

As she comes to bed tonight, I’m waiting for her without a shirt and a small smile on. 

“Hey, got a moment to talk?” I ask softly. She looks concerned in her fluffy pink socks, white short shorts, and illegally thin tank top that threatens to destroy me. 

“Y-yeah, what about?” I pull her onto the bed gently and kiss her softly.

“About Hanji and Erwin...They’re having a hard time with this baby stuff. You see, they tried for a long time to have a child of their own, but found out that Hanji’s actually missing portions of her fallopian tubes which has rendered her both mostly infertile and at a high chance for a fallopian pregnancy. Seeing you pregnant has made them remember their failure and they’ve been a bit mopey about it. I’ve been trying to think of how to talk to them about this and I think I’ve got it figured out. We’ll have a talk tomorrow and they should be 1000% on board with us after that. Basically I’m going to tell them to live somewhat vicariously through us with this pregnancy and child and explain that we’ll need babysitters while at school or when we need breaks. I think they’ll perk right up. What do you think?”

Her mind seems to turn these words over and over and finds validity in them, if the smile she now wears is anything to go by. She nods that cute head wildly and tosses herself onto me, not caring that she’s knocked the wind from me. 

“Of course! That’d be perfect! I’m so glad that it’s something like that and not them not wanting our child. To be honest, I was worried no one but I wanted it!” I pull her close and push down any traces that what I’m about to say is a lie. 

“Of course we all want it! Silly Angel. You just had to give us time to get used to the idea. Now, relax. It’s time to sleep.” She gives me that smile I’ve missed for over a week now and we relax into the covers, readying ourselves for the sandman to take us away.

***************************************************************

For the next several days, things went on perfectly. The talk Levi had with Hanji and Erwin helped a lot and now Hanji is back to normal, happy and exuberant about the baby. It takes no time for them to get me a doctor’s appointment and I’m happily choosing my outfit for it now. Levi promised to go with me and is finishing up his shower now. The only thing that could make this better would be for this stupid nausea to leave me alone, but it sounds like the doctor might be able to take care of that for me.

After I decide the pink shirt works better for me, I dress and leave to find Levi already at the front door with Mike. I still think he needs to find a better job than looking after me, but he seems content to do so anyways. I don’t care that he watches as I throw my arms around Levi’s neck and kiss him. The chuckle he has for me makes my heart flutter and fly with pleasure. It’s so wonderful to have him with me!

The car ride to the doctor’s was uneventful, but full of cuddling. As soon as we get there we check in and head immediately back. The doctors and nurses here look a bit shady, but don’t stare which makes me feel better. It isn’t long before the nurse is taking my vitals and weight and I’m a bit ashamed that Levi sees my increasing weight.

“Seems like you’ve gained a healthy 10 pounds, Miss Jaeger. Very nice.” The horrified blush on my face must give me away because Levi quickly pulls me into a half-hug and whispers into my ear,

“Sounds like you’re taking on the protective fat like a good mother to our child. I’m sure it’ll grow big and strong if you keep building up some healthy fat.”

It’s just like my Levi to know everything to do at the right moment! I don’t feel ashamed of my weight gain now and instead feel very proud for being such a good mother despite my inexperience.  It’s a short wait until the doctor comes in, moving past Mike who stood watch at the door like something might happen. But, to be honest, I’m happy for it this time since so many doctors and nurses are walking around openly showing tattoos. 

“Welcome Miss Jaeger, I’m Doctor Nagakawa. I’ll be the one performing your ultrasound today. How’ve you been feeling? It’s my understanding that you’ve been through some physical trauma after you conceived. Have you felt anything odd since then?”

The doctor has tattoos as well, but he sounds nice enough and is scrubbing up very thoroughly.  I feel that I can trust him just a little, especially since Levi nods to him like he knows this man. 

“Well, just morning sickness…. So not really? I don’t even really remember the mugging all that much.” 

He nods as he comes over and pulls a machine over to the bedside. From the screen and complicated settings on there, I guess it’s the ultrasound machine.  “That’s good. Please pull up your shirt. We’ll get this ultrasound started. Do you have any questions for me?” Levi pulls my shirt up and politely tucks it under my breasts without touching, like the gentleman he always is. The doctor slathers a blue gel all over my stomach and I shiver at the coldness.

“Is there anything you think I really should be doing to ensure the baby’s health?” I hold onto Levi’s sweaty palm. He’s just as nervous about hearing how our child is as well. I want to comfort him, but it makes me feel better about my own nervousness with him being so uncertain as well. It reminds me that we’re in this together at the same level of experience.

“Well, I would definitely advise you to take prenatal vitamins and up your water intake as well as calories. Indulge in all of your food cravings but not you non-food cravings like dirt or detergent. As always don’t - Hmm? Hang on….” The man looked at the black and white screen, a bunch of staticy lines in a cavern on the screen which don’t make much sense to me. The doctor zooms in on the screen and take snapshots of it before quietly leaving the room and coming back with a few more doctors. 

Levi looks stressed out and scared and we cling to each other’s hand for dear life. What did the doctor see on the screen that he has to have others look at? Surely this isn’t something good. They never need multiple doctors to tell you something good…. They’re all talking in hushed voices and scrubbing up. A woman comes over and smiles at me before taking up the device and focusing on that area even more, pressing in to where it’s getting to be uncomfortable. The doctors press the screenshot button even more before conversing again in hushed whispers. Levi and I can’t seem to find words to question them,  even after all of them look at us with those professionally blank faces.

“Well, there’s no good way to put this… Miss Jaeger, Mr. Zoe-Smith… your child is not viable. We recommend an immediate abortion to preserve Miss Jaeger’s life and future fertility. It seems that the placenta was dislodged from its correct placement during your trauma and is barely hanging onto your uterine lining. Should you allow this pregnancy to continue on, you will begin to feel the effects. The baby will also be crushed by the weight of the placenta and you will miscarry in the best case scenario, and in the worst case scenario you will be slowly infected by the dying tissue if the placenta doesn’t detach completely. If it does, your life will be in immediate danger and you could die from internal bleeding and infection.” 

I listen to the doctors, but the words are incomprehensible… Who in their right mind could believe such a thing?! It’s just the worst possible news to get… I can’t have Levi’s baby?

“A-And there’s no way to fix the problem, Doctor?” Levi’s velvety voice is wavering, full of emotion and vulnerability. I look at him to see him crying as he holds my hand tighter and stares at the doctor.

“No, there isn’t. It would be best to abort this child - and if you’re serious about having a child now, wait a few months to give her womb a chance to heal up from all of this and try again after she’s had a regular period.” 

Levi’s suddenly all I can see, all I can hear as he hugs me close. I don’t even realize I’m screaming and crying until my throat hurts with the force of my screams. It’s the worst thing in the world… I’m losing Levi’s child… I’m going to have to voluntarily have Levi’s child taken out of me, killed before it even has a gender. It’s all too much to bear. It’s too unfair! We just got started with our life together, just got comfortable with the idea of being parents and now we can’t! Now we have to give it up! My precious baby with Levi… 

When I can think again around the blinding pain in my heart and the stabbing jaggedness of each breath, I look up at Levi. He seems to be having just as hard of a time with the news as I am. His words shock me, though. 

“Eren… please…. please let me go get someone to perform the abortion now…” With that, the last bit of my stability falls away and I know he can see the look of betrayal on my face because he rushes on, grabbing my shoulders. “ **_PLEASE!!!_ ** I can’t lose you, Eren, I _ can’t! _ ” That makes me pause. The doctor’s words rush through my head again, warning that this will be a danger to my life more likely than not. I look down at my slight bump, barely there and not at all noticeable unless you’re looking for it. He’s asking me to get rid of it so that I can live to see another year with him, to have more children with him down the road. 

“Please don’t wait, Eren! What if that thing detaches and suddenly you’re dying?! Eren, I can’t… I can’t live through that. I can’t live through knowing my precious angel died when we could’ve prevented it. Please, let’s get someone to do it right now! I know Doctor Nakagawa personally! He wouldn’t hesitate to help us right now! Please…. don’t think about this and further endanger your life!” I’ve never seen Levi so emotional and so serious about anything…. I know that he’d be torn apart if I told him no…. 

“I just wish I had a little more time to say goodbye…” I warble out, hating how pathetic I sound. 

“It’s not your fault, Eren…. I’m sorry that it came to this, but… we can hold a funeral for it and if…. if you want… in a few months when you’re sure you’ve recovered, we can try again, okay? I won’t push you to try again, but if you want it, if you need it… We can try again in a few months.” I have nothing to say to that, or against that, so I nod. The kiss he gives me isn’t full of joy like our normal kisses, but it’s gentle and I can tell that he means what he says.

“Okay,” I finally voice. “Go get someone. Let’s get it over with…”

***************************************************************

It’s the hardest damn thing I’ve ever done. I’d rather go through withdrawal seven times over before I ever do this kind of thing again… It’s so hard to watch Eren be shattered by the fake news. It’s so hard to listen to her screams about how unfair this is… It’s so hard to watch her fall apart in my arms as the news that this being inside of her needs to come out. It’s hard not to tell her that it’s not my baby. It’s hard to not tell her that I set her up with these doctors exactly because they’re willing to lie to her and perform the abortion. It’s hard… but it’s what’s best for her. I try not to show her my happiness and relief when she tells me that I can go get a doctor to perform the safest abortion she’s ever had, but I succeed and kiss her once more before opening the door, never letting go of her hand. 

“Mike, go get doctor Nakagawa… Tell him we’re prepared to let him save Eren’s life.” The tall blond nods with a small grunt and leaves as I return to Eren, hiding her face in my chest. The doctor is quick to come back in and respectfully bows to us. 

“I am deeply sorry for your loss, but it is the right decision,” he tells us in that calm voice that I’m sure he uses to deliver news of death to families. Eren’s crying and scared and trembling now. 

“C-Can we give her a something small to help her sleep through this?” I’m playing my role of heartbroken lover well, but it’s really not that far off from the truth - just the cause is different. 

“It won’t take too long-”

“Can we give her something or not?”  I snap, knowing my tone is too sharp for the role, but Eren seems to attribute it to my mental pain. The doctor sighs and heads to a locked cabinet. 

“This will help her fall asleep. It’s an over the counter medicine so it’ll take a little while to work, but it will be fine for our purposes. I’ll administer a local anesthetic when it’s time to start so she doesn’t feel pain and stays asleep.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” I take the pill from him and softly pull Eren’s mouth open as I hear the doctor filling up a small cup with water. I set the bitter pill on her tongue and then put the water in my mouth and kiss her, flooding her mouth with water to help her swallow it without getting it all over her or choking her in her distressed state. She swallows and the pill is gone. I kiss her gently before stroking her head, beginning the wait for the pill to work. Within the hour I’m able to call the doctor back and he begins. There’s no reason for me to focus on what he’s doing, just trusting this man who often patched me up to take care of my angel. 

True to his word, she didn’t wake up. He gave me a paper and I’m free to take Eren home. I make sure to carry her to my room and ignore the probing eyes on me as we cross the threshold. I want Eren, my sweet, tortured angel, to wake up in my arms and happier than ever. 

***************************************************************

When I wake up, it’s to something warm and comfortable.  _ Am I with Levi again? It feels so comfortable! _ It’s impossible not to snuggle up to this super warm pillow and enjoy the sensation of a cloudy mind and a sore but comfortable heavy body. A gentle pressure touches the top of my head and moves to my neck before disappearing… and then reappearing at the top of my head. It feels very nice and comfortable so I don’t fight it. Instead, I just pull my heavy warm pillow closer.

“Good morning, Eren, my angel,” comes a velvety voice that I could just get lost in forever. A smile works its way onto my face and it feels good to do so after so much stress lately.

“Good morning, Pillow-kun,” I murmur, allowing the pillow to continue with its head-petting. It’s when it chuckles at me and stops petting my head that I begin questioning how a pillow can do such things.

“So now I’ve been reduced to ‘Pillow-kun’? That’s a pretty harsh demotion, Eren.” The pillow now has my full attention as I work on clearing my green eye of sleep. 

“Huh? What do you mean Pillo-” This is most _DEFINITELY_ **NOT** a pillow that I’m clinging to like a koala on a tree. This is a bonafide Levi that I’ve just demoted from boyfriend to ‘Pillow-kun’. It takes a few moments of staring at him to realize just what I had been doing and saying to him before I decide Pillow-kun is a good description for him and snuggle into him more. “Silly Levi! Don’t you know your part-time job is to be Pillow-kun for me?!” My tone is teasing and my words happy, but something in the back of my mind tells me I should be very sad right now. It steals the smile from my face and weighs heavily on my heart while I try to remember just what sad thing happened yesterday.

“Man, why does no one ever tell me about theses things! I would’ve put on my Pillow-kun pajamas if I’d known that!” He’s being cute and wonderful and rolling along with my joke, but this sadness hurts my heart too much to be cheered up.

“Levi…. what happened yesterday? I can’t remember, but I feel like I should be really sad right  now.” My Pillow-kun goes stiff and I know something happened, but I can’t remember what exactly. It only saddens me more. I just hope that he tells me what happened. 

“Ah… I don’t… really wanna tell you…. but it was a serious thing that if you remember on your own later will kill any trust between us… Yesterday, Eren…. We went for your first ultrasound…”  _ Ultrasound? I don’t really remember being sick… _ “And we found out that because of the trauma from when you were mugged… the baby inside of you wasn’t going to survive no matter what we did… So you agreed to have an abortion… That’s why you may be sore down there.” 

His words leave me confused, but as I put my hand on my stomach it all makes sense and the memories hit me quickly, bringing me to tears. “L-Levi!” I sob as I grab onto him tighter. He won’t leave me, right? Is he mad? Is he upset that I had them kill his child?

“Shhh… it’s okay, Eren. I promise you on my life, angel, that it’s okay… I’m just so happy that you’re still alive and healthy. We can have our own little snot-nosed brats later - whether later is a few months from now or a few years from now, I don’t care. Just as long as you’re by my side and healthy, Eren.” I can’t help but bawl into his shirt as I listen to the honest words I desperately need. Something inside of me tells me I should be grateful that this child wasn’t born, but I shove that horrible piece of me away. Killing Levi’s child isn’t something I should ever be grateful about. 

“b-But it was YOUR child!” He only hugs me closer and makes me look him in the eyes, even though everything is blurry with tears.

“I couldn’t care less about that child when it compares to your life, especially because it never would have been able to be born in the first place. It’s not even your fault that it wasn’t able to be born! I was that crazy asshole’s fault for hurting you! Don’t let this take your smile away, Eren. Don’t be sad over something like this. Just accept that it happened and we’ll take the future one step at a time, together. I’m sure that next time nothing bad will happen and that our kid will grow up happy  and wonderful. So don’t stop smiling over this… Cry it all out now, but don’t lose your smile… After all, you’ll forget about this kid once you have another one to worry about… Hell, if it keeps you happy, I’ll put up with and help with a whole village worth of brats!” 

I can’t help but laugh at his promise, feeling much better about the whole thing when he puts it that way. I don’t let my tears stop, though, listening to his advice to cry it all out now. I know we probably need to go to school already, but I just can’t bring myself to even think of seeing people today. I just want to spend the day recovering and mourning our loss.

***************************************************************

There’s few times in the world when I feel completely helpless… As I hold Eren and listen to her crying, I begrudgingly admit that this is one of those times. I feel especially shitty knowing that I’m overly relieved that she doesn’t have that shitface’s spawn in her. If that hadn’t worked yesterday, I really would’ve had to visit a hypnotist or something to try and love that kid.

When Eren finally calms down and stops crying I hand her a tissue from the bedside table and let her blow her nose, still petting her hair and letting her know I’m there for her. After she cleans herself up, she looks at me with sullen eyes, her hands going to her stomach to pet it sadly. It breaks my heart to see her like this, but there’s nothing to be done about it. 

“I…. I think I do want to try for another child when the doctor gives me the go ahead. Would you be against it?” Part of me is overjoyed at the idea and terrified at the prospect of having sex with her and triggering her old memories which would really take away her happiness. 

“Only if we take some classes now and you gain another ten pounds. The doctor said you’re still a bit underweight and that it could hurt any kid inside of you if we try again while you’re still so skinny.”

My depressed girlfriend fiddles with the hem of her shirt, hesitant for some reason. Maybe she doesn’t want to take classes with me? “But if I gain another ten pounds… will you think I’m fat and unattractive?” 

The way she looks at me with those amber and green eyes kills me. She’s so vulnerable and so breakable right now that even the slightest bit of negativity could shatter her. I shake my head ‘no’ and scoop up her hands. I bring each in turn to my lips and stare up at her, hoping she can see the sincerity in my eyes. 

“Eren, I would never,  _ EVER _ see you as unattractive. I love Eren Jaeger, bright, bubbly girl with a voice like an angel and a kind personality that no one can beat. I don’t care if that Eren Jaeger is 150 pounds or 500 pounds, especially if she’s gaining weight for the safety of our child that we want to have someday.”

Those beautiful eyes I adore just tear up all over again and i can only hope it’s a good thing. The way she throws herself on me and cries tells me it’s a good thing for sure. I hold her tightly and take a deep whiff of her hair, hoping to catch that shampoo I love… only to smell sweat and a little bit of body odor. I’m reminded of how difficult the whole day must have been on her and forego saying anything about it. I know Eren’s not a normally gross person… but I will be washing our sheets today. 

“Levi… I want a shower, but I don’t think I’ll be able to stand… Will you come have a bath with me?” The innocent way she asks as she looks up at me make me dizzy. It’s only through sheer willpower that I keep my tone as carefully neutral as possible. 

“I-I’m not sure if I’m the best one for that…” 

“Please~!” She’s begging with those adorable eyes and that puffy bottom lip and I know I can’t help but give her what she wants… within reason. 

“Only if we keep it completely G-rated! You just had a really serious procedure yesterday and I’m not going to let you hurt yourself!” Even her nodding is cute, but the way she clings to me tells me this is about more than her soreness. She’s scared I’m going to leave her or find her unattractive and while neither of those things will ever happen, she’s insecure right now because of this major life change. I suck it up and grab a couple tissues before picking her up and heading to the bathroom. Hanji is in the hall, walking with a book in hand, but I ignore her and go in the bathroom, locking the door. 

***************************************************************

Levi sets me down on the toilet so gently and kindly that I can’t help but feel cherished. He starts up some water from the showerhead, getting it just right. I can’t let his generosity go to waste, so I begin peeling my clothes off. They feel sticky and gross, especially my underwear. As I look at the cute cherry decorated underwear, I notice that there’s a little bit of red and a bit of what looks like gel, leftovers from the operation, I’m sure. I toss them to the side, telling myself I need to pitch them later and look up to see Levi with his back to me, taking off his boxers. I can’t remember getting to see his dick much during our first time, but I’m not afraid or embarrassed as I look at his when he turns around. 

It seems he’s still very much a shy guy because he’s stealing looks, but trying to be respectful. I can see the emotions warring in his eyes. That’s what I’ve always loved about Levi, always a gentleman.

“I won’t get mad if you look,” I tell him, though it’s not as teasing as I want it to be. It reveals a little too much of how vulnerable I feel. His eyes search mine for a moment before his eyes are suddenly roving along my skin. I can feel each place he looks at, but surprisingly his eyes linger the most on my stomach. 

“I can’t wait to watch this get big with my kid someday,” he tells me as he comes to lay a gentle hand on the sore area. I can’t help but smile at him, acknowledging that he’s not rushing me, but not discouraging me.

“Someday it will… For now, help me to the stool so I can get cleaned up.”

“You get your body and I’ll get your hair. I’ve always wanted to wash your hair.” His tone is again, surprisingly soft and it makes me that much more grateful for his love. I give him the one thing he wants, a smile from my heart. To my surprise, that’s when his body really reacts to me. I catch his growth out of the corner of my eye and lose myself to the set of giggles that follow. 

“Do you always get  _ excited _ at seeing me smile~?” I’m finally able to tease him without anything weighing on my heart and it feels wonderful. I can see that he’s a blushing mess. It’s absolutely wonderful to see him like this. It doesn’t hurt that I get to get a good look at what my lover has. 

“I’m  _ excited  _  because the girl I love is staring up at me naked with the most dazzling fucking smile ever. What red-blooded man on Earth  _ wouldn’t  _  be excited?” He seems bashful, but he doesn’t let this little moment ruin his plans. He picks me up carefully, still not coping a feel when he could. However, as he pulls me to his chest, I can’t help but notice the way my breast presses into his strong chest as I reach up to wrap my arms around his neck. His face is really red and I tell he’s on the verge of another nosebleed. 

The thought makes me feel better about myself. It assures me that he does still find me attractive, enough so that he can get flustered and have nosebleeds over me. I giggle as he sets me in the spray of the water, on the bathing stool they have in here. I never really understood the use of it, but now I think I get why they keep it around; it makes for a great couple’s washing experience~

Soap is pushed into my hand before I feel Levi beginning to scrub my hair. It feels nice and all excitement from earlier is erased by a calm methodical cleansing. I take care to clean everything, but give my tender womanhood special attention to make sure any gel and blood is gone. 

“Do you know if I’ll be bleeding for a while from that procedure?” I can’t bring myself to call it what it was so I settle on calling it a procedure. Some part of me feels like a wimp for doing so, but it just hurts too much to acknowledge what I did.

“No, not after the first day. He said he cleaned it out completely with a full scraping to make sure that there wouldn’t be any weird stuff left over. He said it would be the best way to ensure that you were healthy down there. He’s had to do that kind of thing for people with medical disorders, too, so I’m sure he was thorough and precise.” 

“That’s good… Why do we have to wait a few months to try again then?”

“Because he just essentially opened up a huge wound inside you! You lost a lot of blood during the whole thing. You aren’t going to be healthy enough to have a kid for a few more months… Just take it easy. If you’re still sure about it in a few months, I’ll put a kid inside you, so don’t worry.” I let him wash me off with the shower head as I mull over his words. I don’t like that we have to wait so long, but it would be a good thing to give myself a little bit to think over all of this. 

I hardly notice when he sets me in the tub of hot water, but I notice when he steps away from me. I reach out to him only to see that he’s quickly cleaning himself off. My nerves are frayed by the time he finishes, ready to call out at even the slightest sign that he’ll leave… but he turns to me and smiles as he comes to sit behind me in the tub. The way he pulls me to him and hugs me is so firm and sure that I can’t help but relax into him. I turn a little and kiss him, soft and gentle. He returns it just the same way. 

That’s how we spend our first bath together, kissing slowly and gently while we relax in the water. It’s only when the water begins cooling that we break and he stands. “Let’s dry off and go get some lunch.” Despite how he said ‘let’s’, he’s the one doing all of the drying off, making sure I’m completely dry and only hesitates when it comes to between my legs. I do it for him and let him dry off while I do so. He then wraps a fluffy towel around me and carries me to the bedroom. Levi even picks out our clothes and dresses me like I’m a queen in need of pampering. It’s a lot different from how he normally acts, but it makes me realize just how much he must love me. It’s so out of character for him, but it only highlights how much he wants me to realize how much I mean to him. 

I let him carry me out to the dining room and set me on his lap while he waits… for what I’m not sure. Hanji soon comes out with some food and sets it in front of us. Levi picks up the fork and pushes some food towards my mouth.

Erwin comes out and sits at the table as well. The room is oddly tense, but Levi won’t let me stop eating.

“Eren had a bad doctor’s visit yesterday… We had to have an emergency procedure if we were to keep Eren healthy and able to have kids again someday… especially since that one wasn’t gonna survive even if the docs helped. She’s sore and still working through her emotions on the situation… If things go well and she still feels like it… she wants to try again in a few months when the doc says it safe for her…”

The atmosphere goes from tense to sad, Hanji lowering her head as her shoulders shake. “I’m sorry, Eren,” she whispers. “I know that’s not something any mother wants to go through…. I’m sorry it ended up this way… But if you and Levi still want to have a baby…. all I ask is that you both learn a bit more before you try again… and if you two do begin fooling around again, wear protection until you have a doctor’s say so!” 

“Of course we will! Do you think we’re that stupid, Four Eyes!” 

“Levi, be nice to your mother… But I personally think you two should wait a bit longer than a few months. At least until Levi’s out of high school. After all, you can take over working at the bakery when you graduate and it won’t be so far from home if Eren needs you for anything.” I can tell Levi takes the man’s suggestion to heart, but a part of me is uneasy about waiting that long. I can’t say it out loud, but Levi seems to read it from my face well enough. He leans down and whispers in my ear.

“I promise, Eren, I’ll show you as much as you want that you’re still beautiful and worthy of being a mother, even if we have to wait a bit longer than a few months.” I still don’t fully believe him, but if I wait until graduation, I’ll be able to enjoy plenty of time having Levi home during those first few months to ensure nothing goes wrong.

“Okay…. We’ll wait…” With that, the tension remaining seems to disappear and we’re left with a quiet, mournful lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno if it's any good still, but I tried to use the same writing style for this as I used to use to keep it consistent. Sorry if it's shit!
> 
> Did ya like the way I got rid of that demon-spawn?

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all liked it! Please let me know what you think in the comments below and if you feel up to it, feel free to suggest things or guess at what will happen next!


End file.
